


My Hour of Need

by Ginger_Pop, jlcamp09



Series: Amas Veritas [2]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Broken Bones, F/M, M/M, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-14
Updated: 2015-10-04
Packaged: 2018-04-20 20:34:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 131,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4801361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ginger_Pop/pseuds/Ginger_Pop, https://archiveofourown.org/users/jlcamp09/pseuds/jlcamp09
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>We thought we knew the story of the Inquisition. The mixing of two worlds does more than change thoughts and perspectives. It changes everything and everyone involved. Goes to show just how much meddling can change the future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Part 2 to our story Amas Veritas.

Varric wasn’t sure what time it was when he woke, but the lack of the normal sounds of a bustling Skyhold told him that it had to be morning. Very early morning. He had probably only been asleep a few hours. He stretched, blinking down at the woman in his arms, letting a smile tug at his lips. They had just returned to Skyhold earlier that day from another world. 

Another world. Maker, he was still trying to wrap his head around it all. He actually wasn’t sure if the Seeker would still want to give, whatever this was, a try now that they were back. But she had followed him back to his rooms for a very good end to the day.  He mulled over his own thoughts as he watched her sleep. He supposed the other question was, did he still want this now that they were back? His mind drifted over Bianca and the twisting, sick feeling he felt when he thought about the whole situation. He wondered if it made him selfish, wanting to be the only man in a woman’s life. To life honestly and without fear of asking for more. He pressed his lips thin and carefully moved out of the bed, making sure Cassandra was tucked in before he grabbed his breeches off of the floor and tugged them on before he went to the fireplace and added another log to the dying fire before he lit a candle on his desk and sat down, best to write something now before he lost his nerve.

He opened the inkwell on his desk and pulled a blank piece of parchment towards him as he slipped his reading glasses on and poised the quill over the paper as he thought of how best to start what was sure to be a difficult letter. He worked his lip between his teeth for a moment, glancing over at Cassandra, still asleep in his bed. He wasn’t sorry. Not for her, but shit. How did you end one chapter of your life? He dipped his quill into the ink and tried to let his mind go blank as he started writing. First draft, get it all out and then edit.

Cassandra was barely awake as she felt Varric slip quietly from the bed, but she gave no indication that she wasn’t sleeping yet. Although it was a bit strange to be here in his bedroom, it was nice. And she was happy to finally be back at Skyhold after spending so many weeks in that strange world they’d been dumped into. But she didn’t regret it one bit. She’d learned so much, experienced things that she never could have in Thedas, made new friends, and most importantly, she and Varric had started this new relationship. 

She watched him from beneath the fringe of her eyelashes as he leaned over his desk, his forehead propped on one hand, the quill scratching across the parchment. The corner of her mouth twitched ever so slightly as she wondered what he was writing. Perhaps he was working on the next chapter of Swords and Shields. Or maybe he had decided to start working on writing down everything they had experienced in the other world. Either way, she hoped that he would allow her to read it. 

She could see the frown on his face, the way he would pause and just stare at the page for long moments as if he couldn’t find the right words. That didn’t seem like him, the few times she’d seen him write. Usually the quill flew across the paper as if he couldn’t get it all down fast enough. She opened her eyes more fully, watching him, wondering what the problem was. Perhaps he was trying to figure out how to make their story believable. After all, who would believe the story that they’d been pulled through a rift and ended up in a strange land full of all sorts of impossible things? 

“Writer’s block?” she asked sleepily, stretching slightly, then curling up more on her side in his bed.

Varric would deny later that he jumped a little when her voice cut through the otherwise silent room and he looked over at her in the bed. The way her face seemed to glow from the light of the fire, the way the light caught her eyes and the curve of her lips as they tugged upwards with the hint of a pleased smile. He returned the smile to her in kind before he looked down at the letter he was composing. “I think I would prefer writer’s block over this.” He sat back, running his free hand over his face. “It’s a letter. The letter I told you I would write when we got back if we were really serious about this.” He gestured at the air between them both. “It’s just… harder than I thought it would be.”

She felt fully awake at that and she propped herself up on one elbow, blinking at him. “Is it?” she asked, feeling a heaviness in her heart. She knew that he still cared for Bianca. And in a way, that hurt. She tried to think of how she might have felt if she’d had to compose a similar letter to Regalyan, were he still alive. A frown pulled at her lips. “Varric, you don’t have to,” she said. “If you are unsure of us, if it’s too soon, you do not have to write that letter.”

Varric pushed back from his desk, setting the quill down on top of the page before he walked over to sit on the edge of the bed. “No, it’s not that. Well, shit, I mean, maybe a little I guess? Is anyone ever really sure about anything? I’m sure enough that I want to write this letter. I do. It’s just...” He pinched at the bridge of his nose, “Fifteen years off and on is a lot to explain in one letter why. I feel like she deserves more of an explanation, if that makes sense.” He looked over his shoulder at her, turning so he could easily face her. “I’m an ass and a selfish bastard, but Maker help me, I want to do this. I want to do it right. You both deserve that much.”

She reached out and rubbed her hand between his shoulderblades, his skin warm over the tense muscles. She clenched her jaw, wanting so much to speak what was on her mind, but not wanting to somehow offend him if she said something wrong. Which she was notorious for. She was never good with words. “You… you should write whatever you think is best,” she said lamely. Her hand slipped down his spine to the bed before she pulled her arm back to her and curled up on her side again. “I’m sorry I bothered you.”

He chuckled, unable to ignore the shiver her touch down his back brought. “Don’t be. Letters like that shouldn’t be rushed,” he said as he turned to her. “I’ll probably crumple it up and start fresh again tomorrow, I just wanted to get it out there, to know that I could. Shit. I shouldn’t talk about this with you. Isn’t it taboo to talk about past loves with current ones? I’m really rusty at this,” he muttered and moved to lay down, slipping underneath the covers next to her. She was like a furnace and it made his eyes droop a little as the heat sank into his tense muscles, relaxing him. He tugged her into his arms, relishing in the feel of her bare skin against his own. “Maybe I’m overthinking it.” 

She slid her arm across his chest and curled against his side, a frown on her lips. “Varric, can I be honest with you?” she asked, but continued on before he could answer her. “I think you are being far too considerate to a woman who has never done the same for you. I know you care about her, but does she deserve so much from you? How much of an explanation did she give you? Marrying another man, leaving you at the altar. Seeing you only when it is convenient for her. I…” She huffed and frowned, regretting her words instantly. “Never mind. It is not my place.”

Varric closed his eyes as he listened to her and he couldn’t stop the memories that washed over him as she ticked off the reasons to him. He remembered the altar all too well. He had dressed up, shaved even. Had things packed and ready to run off with the love of his life, just waiting for her to show up. And she never did. The excuse? To protect him from her family, of course. Though, she kept inviting him over whenever what’s-his-name was out of town even though her family watched and seemed to know when he went over to see her as assassins always paid him a visit afterwards. So much for protecting him. Perhaps it was the forbidden that kept him with her so long and perhaps that had been enough at one point. Now? Now he wanted more. 

He tightened his grip around Cassandra, turning his face into her hair as he tried to ignore the pinpricks behind his eyes as he thought about it. “No.” His voice was thick with emotion. “No, it’s alright, Seeker. You have that place. Now, you do,” he said, “Before you, it was enough, what she offered me. It was more than enough because I had nothing to start with.”

She wrapped her arm around his neck, holding him tightly. Oh how she hated Bianca and what she had done to him. “You deserve better,” she insisted, her heart aching to be that for him. “It is not fair the way she has treated you. If you feel that she deserves some big explanation, I will not stop you. But I would not worry over it too much if it were me.” She sighed as she let her fingers play with his hair and she carefully moved to kiss his lips. She wanted to be more for him, to be that romance he was looking for. And she swore to herself that she would never treat him the way Bianca did.

Varric breathed her in deeply as she kissed him and he smiled against her as he kissed her back, sighing out as he let her roll him onto his back. Maker’s breath, but this was wonderful. It was slow and heated, as if Cassandra had all the time in the world to just lay atop him and kiss him senseless. It was a far cry from the hurried joinings that he had gotten used to over the years, the slight fear that had always nagged at the back of his mind that what’s his face would come home earlier than what she predicted. He groaned against Cassandra and reached behind her to pull the covers up and over their heads before he leaned up and sealed his lips around a pert nipple, his arms circling around Cassandra’s back and pulling her firmly on top of him. He was so damn tired of thinking. 

Cassandra moaned softly as his hot mouth captured her sensitive flesh, sucking and nibbling at it. She let her legs slip down to straddle him, rocking gently against his body, and she smiled as she felt him start to harden against her. “Varric,” she whispered as she dipped her head to kiss at the side of his neck, letting her teeth play with his earlobe. Her eyes fluttered shut at the feel of his strong arms around her, his rough hands sliding over her skin. She loved the butterflies he gave her, the way this was all so new and exciting. “More,” she begged softly.

He really really wished he had kicked off his pants before getting back into bed. He pulled back with a groan. “Give me a moment, Seeker,” he breathed, the air hot between them and he loved the closeness. He reached down, tugging off the offending piece of clothing before he tossed it out of the bed, groaning as he pulled her back on top of him, skin against skin. He shivered at the contact and reached up to cup her face with both hands as he leaned up and kissed her, slowly and deliberately just because he could. Because he had all the time in the world and damn anyone who interrupted. He couldn’t keep his hands still for long and he let them wander over her form, fingers catching on scars here and there, but it only fueled his exploration of her before he just held her against him. 

Her skin seemed to tingle everywhere he touched her. She loved this, the slow exploration of each other. No need to rush, just taking their time as they saw fit. She ran her hand over his shoulder, down his arm, shivering at the feel of his muscles under her palm. She was tempted to trace every line of his body with her tongue. Especially those arms. She squeezed at his bicep again and gave a small whimper as he flexed the muscle for her. “Oh Maker,” she breathed, her mouth going dry and her core beginning to ache for him.

He chuckled at the way she trailed her hands over his shoulders and down his biceps. The noise she made when he flexed under her sent a spike of heat to his length which was trapped beneath her abdomen and his. “You’re going to be thinking about this every time I wear my sleeveless armor now, aren’t you?” He couldn’t help but to tease her and he suddenly found the air under the covers stifling and he reached up to ease them down again, stopping when they pooled at Cassandra’s hips. He ran his hands over her curves, sighing out as she rocked into him. He studied her for a moment, committing every detail to memory as he leaned up and kissed a path between the valley of her breasts.

A hiss slipped through her teeth and she shivered again as his chin scraped against her skin. “Every damn time,” she answered and had to lick her lips at the mental image of him in that armor. He really should wear it more often. She didn’t know how much longer she could wait and she finally pulled back, meeting his eyes with a sultry look as she reached down and curled her fingers around his firm length, stroking it slowly. She loved to watch him as she touched him, the way he leaned his head back, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. She lifted herself up and steadied him as she slowly sank down on his thick cock, a moan escaping her as her hips came to rest against his. She ran her fingers through the hair on his chest as she rocked her hips, her eyes fluttering shut as he moved within her.

Perfection. It was the only thing that came to his mind as she took control and lowered herself down over him. He swallowed harshly, keeping his gaze locked on her face as he watched her. He wanted to remember this, the way her brow furrowed in concentration, how she bit her lower lip on one side as she became fully seated on him. “Shit,” he muttered, sliding his arm around her back so he could draw her close to him, reaching up and cupping her cheek with his other hand. “You are breathtaking, Seeker,” he murmured before he leaned up and kissed her, long and slow. It was as if he had taken a breath and he couldn’t exhale, she filled him so.

She felt a slight blush touch her cheekbones at his compliment and she smiled as she slightly lifted her hips and sank back down onto him. She would never get over how it felt to be held by him, how it made her feel safe and wanted all at the same time. She moaned again as he filled her, stretching her body around his hard length. Her core throbbed, making her toes curl as she moved again, unable to get enough of him. She nibbled at his lip before she rested her forehead against his, her face screwing up with pleasure. “So good,” she whispered, her hand seeking his and threading their fingers together. 

“Yeah,” he breathed against her as he rocked up into her embrace, matching the slow pace that she set. It was like soaking in a warmth bath, so calm, so unrushed. He was quickly becoming addicted to how easy it was to be like this with her. She was definitely a woman of passion, wanting the fairytale romance and happy ending. Life was so much crueler than that, but to have this with her after everything that they had been through? He wasn’t going to delude himself. With their personalities, they would no doubt get into arguments over the silliest things, but he was rather proud at how far they had come. From hostility, to an uneasy alliance, to a hesitant friendship to… whatever this was.  He slipped his tongue past her lips, teasing her own, drinking down her sweetness, moaning against her as she writhed on top of him.

She kissed back at him, letting her tongue curl around his, matching it with the pace of their hips. She pressed herself harder against him, taking his length as deeply as possible, and rolled her hips against him, swirling his cock inside of her. Her eyes rolled back in her head at the delicious friction against her clit, the way he hit the sensitive spots within her and she threw her head back with a hiss. “Oh Maker!” she gasped out, biting her lip as her eyes squeezed shut. “Varric… ngh… I… I’m close,” she panted, tightening her hand around his. 

He groaned as her sweet pleas echoed around him like a thick haze. He was torn between wanting to draw it out further and wanting to reach that peak with her. He committed her voice to memory, the needy, high pitch of her voice that reminded him so much of when he had given her the next chapter of Swords and Shields. The softness that reached her eyes, the passion. He moaned out against her, closing his hand tighter around hers as he let his other arm fall and used it to angle her just a fraction as he increased the pace of his thrusts up into her body. So close, he was so close and he could feel her tightening around him. He leaned up, his nose brushing hers as he kissed her lips before he brushed his own against her ear. “Then come for me, Seeker,” he all but purred at her.

Her breath came in short, sharp gasps as she clenched around him, their bodies melded together as they worked towards their climax. Her walls spasmed around him, making his hot length seemed even bigger within her. Her hand ached as their fingers clasped together so tightly, yet she didn’t want to let go. It made it more intimate, somehow, sweeter and more affectionate. “Varric!” she cried, her voice impossibly high and breathless. Her body tightened around him, a burning need in her clit and her core as she moved faster, her breasts heavy and tingling, swelling almost as she rode him hard. The pressure seemed to build, low in her belly and in her thighs until she peaked, throwing back her head with a cry as her muscles clamped down on him, pulsing again and again, hard and fast in rapid succession, then slower as relief seemed to bloom through her entire being.

Varric threw his head back as Cassandra clenched around him as she came, crying his name as she released. Maker’s breath, he wanted to continue to make her do that. It was addictive to hear. He remembered hushed joinings because too many people would overhear and shit, could he really not stop thinking about her? He bucked up into Cassandra, riding out the last few tremors of her orgasm and let her carry him over his own plateau. “Cass!” he breathed out, leaning up, kissing hotly at her neck as he came. His arm was tight around her as he held her against him, their hands holding on tightly to one another. A ringing settled in his ears as he came down from that high, his blood starting to circulate around his body again as he relaxed in her embrace. He shook her hand free only so he could wrap both arms around her, cradling her against him. 

Cassandra trembled as she lay over him, panting to catch her breath. “Wow,” she gasped and nuzzled into his neck, still gently squeezing her muscles around him. “Varric, that… that was incredible,” she said breathlessly before she carefully lifted herself off of him and settled at his side, still wrapped in his arms. A smile crossed her lips as she laid her head on his chest, listening to his heart racing. She was in complete bliss, feeling sleepier than ever, and she pulled the blankets back up around them. “I could get used to this.”

He chuckled at that as he turned his head, pressing his lips to the crown of her head. “You say that now, but I’m not sure you’ve heard me snore yet,” he teased at her as he took a few deep breaths, trying to calm his pulse. “Mm, but you’re right. I could definitely get used to that. It was good. Better, even,” he said as he rubbed his hands along her back, fingers spread wide before he settled and just held her, content, “You should just do that until I can’t think any more. I do way too much thinking.”

She smiled and let her fingertips brush down his face, making him close his eyes and playing over his lips. “Then sleep,” she said softly, “and in the morning, I’ll keep you from thinking all over again.” 


	2. Chapter 2

Solas didn’t sleep well the night before. After meeting the two women from an alternate world, women who claimed to know everything about everyone in the Inquisition, his mind just would not still itself. He tossed and turned, wondering if they knew his secret and what he should do if they did know. He would have to confront them, the sooner the better, and at a time when no one else was around. 

Things were mostly quiet that morning; most of the inner circle was focused on the upcoming ball at the Winter Palace and Josephine was throwing a fit that the Inquisitor not go anywhere because it would be unsightly for him to “show up with a black eye.” So Solas thought that he would bide his time painting in the rotunda, to give himself time to think about how to handle the sisters and their knowledge of him.

It was peaceful and quiet as he stood on the scaffolding, the bold paint sliding easily across the plaster wall. It soothed him in a way that little else could. He was pondering his options, wondering how best to confront the women, when a metallic thunk met his ears. He looked over his shoulder to see one of the cans of paint tipped over on the floor and tiny pawprints leading over to his desk… And a cat, happily prancing all over the books and papers there.

With an irritated huff, he set down his paintbrush and climbed down, snatching up the offending animal. “What a mess you’ve made,” he scolded it. He frowned when it purred at him, paint still dripping from its paws. He sighed heavily, narrowing his eyes at it. It was the cat that had accompanied the others when they returned from the other world. He shook his head and carried the cat out in front of him as he headed to the kitchen.

He found the sisters there, working at their own table amongst the other kitchen servants. He approached the brunette and held the cat in front of her. “I believe this belongs to you,” he said.

Jennifer nearly froze when she heard that smooth voice she had listened to a thousand times over and over. Lindsey called her a fool and Solas a jerk, but she couldn’t find it in her heart to agree. It wasn’t like he didn’t have his reasons. She looked towards the elf that approached her, carrying her cat like it was a little doll. Bright paint dripped from the cat’s paws and it gave her a look before meowing at her as if asking what was for lunch. She smiled. “Why, Solas, you’ve made a friend!” she said, reaching out and scratching underneath the cat’s chin and almost shrank back when she saw the look the elf gave her. “I’m making pot pie for Dorian. I don’t think I would like to explain how cat hair and paint got into the meal. I’ll make you one too if you watch the little angel here,” she said, leaning forward and rubbing her nose against the cat’s.

Solas gave her a deadpan stare, raising an eyebrow. Yet he couldn’t deny that whatever it was she was fixing smelled delicious and he felt a pang of hunger lance through his stomach. He supposed it wasn’t her fault the cat had gone wandering and in hindsight, it was probably poor judgment to bring it into the kitchen. “I suppose that is fair,” he said, relaxing his arms a bit, but still holding the cat far enough away so it didn’t get paint on him. “I shall keep him with me until you’re done preparing Dorian’s lunch. But after that, he is your responsibility again.” An idea clicked in his mind and he gave her a small smile. “And I would very much like to try this potpie you’re fixing. Perhaps we can speak for a moment when you bring it? I would like to learn more about your world.”

She felt her stomach do a little flip as he asked her to talk with him during lunch. She smiled brightly and nodded. “Sounds good. I’ve,” she coughed, clearing her throat, hoping her blush wasn’t too evident. She’d blame it on the heat from the kitchen. “I’ve been wanting to meet with you myself. You are something of a legend from my world,” she said and gestured all around her, “Well, everyone is like a legend, but yeah…” She trailed off and nearly smacked herself. She nodded to the cat. “Make sure to keep your important papers away from that. The cat is prone to ripping them to shreds for a nest.”

“I’m afraid he has already covered them in paint,” Solas said. He gave her a slight bow as he turned to leave. “I look forward to our conversation. Don’t worry, your friend here will be fine until you come to get him.” 

Jennifer chuckled, “If he gets to be too much trouble for you, just give his paws a fresh coat of paint and tell him to visit Dorian.”

A smirk touched his lips. “I shall keep that in mind,” he said and headed back the way he came, though he shook his head at the cat in his hands.

Lindsey waited until Solas was gone from the kitchen before she turned to her sister. “Lunch date with the apostate hobo?” she teased, unable to stop herself. She snickered at the look Jennifer gave her. “Oh come on, like you wouldn’t tease me if I was taking lunch to Cullen.” She licked her lips and cast a glance at the other kitchen staff, making sure they weren’t paying attention before she leaned closer and whispered, “And what are you going to tell him? I mean, if he asks what we know about him?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t know if I can lie to him. I think he’s up there on par with Iron Bull as part of the whole suspicious thing. I mean, I think he’s already suspecting us of knowing more than we should. What would you have me say to him? Then again, he didn’t know the truth about Blackwall. No one did.” She tapped her finger against her lips. “Well, I’m going to be honest with him. He can’t kill us without drawing suspicion against himself. At least, I think. I dunno. I’ve always wanted to see what he would do if he could be honest. Probably be even more depressed than normal,” she muttered as she rolled out a third pie crust for Solas and set the crusts in the stone oven to set up a little bit before she added the filling.

Lindsey tipped her head doubtfully. “I dunno, man. There’s a lotta high walls in this place. It’d be pretty easy to make it look like someone tripped and fell.” Her eyes went wide at the look her sister gave her. “Sorry! I’m not helping here, am I?” She sighed as she thought about it. “I don’t know what to have you say. I guess if you’re going to tell him what we know, just, you know, ease him into it. I wouldn’t lead with, Hey! You’re…” she stopped herself from saying it, just in case someone was listening. “Well, you know what I mean.”

Jennifer couldn’t stop the grin from spreading across her face at her sister’s words. “Yeah, how about no. I’ll just let him lead the conversation. Not sure what he will do, this kind of goes beyond the scope of the game, don’t you think?” she asked as she pulled the pies from the oven and poked at the crusts before she nodded and started ladling in the filling full of vegetables and tender chunks of chicken in a thick cream broth. “What about you? Are you going to be doting on you know who? He’ll be going through fun detox soon.” 

Lindsey thought about it as she helped her sister prepare the food. “If he’ll let me. I hate to think of Cullen going through that on his own. I don’t want to come on too strong, though. He seems like he spooks easy,” she said with a slight laugh. Although really she thought his shyness was one of the most endearing things about him. “I’m trying really hard not to go all fangirl on him. I’ll just… see what happens.” She helped lay the crust over the top of the pies and placed them back in the oven. “I was really surprised to see how many ingredients they do have here that are similar to back home. We should talk to Josephine, see if there’s something she can order us from Val Royeaux. Or Tevinter. Can they order stuff from Tevinter? That would make Dorian happy.”

She nodded at her sister and leaned against the table. “That sounds like a good idea. We will have to ask her later,” She said, grinning. “Oh, and I was thinking we try something like pizza for dinner tonight. Though, I think the other cooks are giving us looks,” she said as she glanced around the kitchen. “I can’t say I really mind being Dorian’s personal cooks.” She turned around, reaching for her cup of tea. “This is different than the game or what I thought it would be. I mean, it doesn’t really show where to go to the bathroom.” She snorted, “That would be something.”

“Well, it’s not like the game back home was the Sims,” Lindsey snickered. “There wasn’t really any reason for the game to show that, right?” She leaned against the worktable and crossed her arms. “And yes on the pizza. I’ll scrounge around here and find the ingredients while you’re having your lunch date with Solas.” She pressed her lips together to try to hide a smirk, but failed. “Probably going to have to make quite a bit of it. You know Cass and Varric will want some, too. And me. I want pizza too, dammit!”

Jennifer chuckled and nodded. “Yes, yes, cooking for the inner circle 101. Gotta have enough food for everyone involved. Might have to make a couple for Dorian and Bull. I imagine they spend their nights exerting a lot of energy.” She grinned. “You should sneak up to Bull’s room. We can listen outside the door.” She shivered at the thought, “Ugh. I need to get laid.” 

“You need Jeezus,” Lindsey teased, pointing a finger at her sister’s nose, “You’re getting stalker-ish.” She pulled the pies from the oven and set them on the table. “I dunno if you need to get laid, or if Bull and Dorian just need to give in and give you a show, or what. Get it outta your system. But no, we will NOT be listening outside their door. Goddess knows we listened to enough of that when they were staying in our home. You walked in on them! Wasn’t that enough?”

Jennifer closed her eyes and let the scene play through her mind and she hummed, “Mmm, I suppose. All it did was light the fire. I just want more.” She grinned. “They are doomed. Doomed I say!” she said as she moved the hot pies onto a tray. “Okay, wish me luck dear!” she said with a grin and grabbed some utensils as well, “Oh, pass me that bottle of wine and a couple of glasses. Need something to wash this down.” She felt more than a little giddy, getting to have lunch with her top character. She was sure she was going to pass out from the sheer excitement.

Lindsey grinned and handed her a bottle and glasses as she asked. “Okay, good luck,” she said. “And be careful what you say. Don’t end up drinking too much of that and trying to jump him! Wait… no, do that. Jump him. Then maybe he won’t care what we know.” She snickered and winked at her sister, then gave her a shove with her hip. “Go on. I’ll take the rest of this to Dorian.”

Jennifer grinned and carried the lunch up through the maze that was below Skyhold. She was glad that she knew her way around like the back of her hand otherwise she would have been in trouble. She noticed that Varric wasn’t at his usual spot next to the fire place in the Great Hall as she slipped into the hallway that led to the rotunda. “Lunch!” she said happily, seeing Solas standing on the scaffolding, painting away. She spotted her cat laying down next to his leg, taking a bath, “Walk through any more paint?”

Solas turned at the sound of her voice. “No, luckily,” he answered as he set his brush down and climbed down the scaffolding. “The cat and I had a talk,” he said, the corner of his mouth twitching in amusement. “I think we understand each other better now.” He gestured towards his desk, which he had cleared of books and papers and had a second chair brought in. He pulled out the chair for her as she set the tray on the desk. “Dorian has been bragging about your cooking,” he said as he moved to sit in his own chair. “I look forward to this.” Though he kept his expression pleasant, he watched her with a keen eye, looking for the right moment to ask the questions burning in his mind. 

Jennifer raised an eyebrow at him as he had pulled her chair out for her, she was impressed. Chivalry was dead back in her own world, especially coming from the town she had grown up in. She gave him a warm smile and carefully moved the little individual pie off onto a plate for him and offered a fork. “I hope it doesn’t disappoint then. I never in a million years would have dreamed I would ever get the chance to cook for you or anyone here for that matter. I’m still a little squee over it all,” she said, feeling a heat rise up in her cheeks, “I have to keep reminding myself that you all don’t know me, no matter how much I know you. It’s a little strange.”

“It is strange from both sides,” he agreed as he picked up his fork and dug into the pie, the steam curling up from the break in the crust. He peered at it for a moment before he lifted a bite and blew on it, waiting for the heat to subside slightly before he took a bite. The muscles in his jaw seemed to tighten, the food so delectable, better than anything else he’d had here at Skyhold. The chicken was tender and juicy, the vegetables perfectly crisp, and the sauce light and creamy. He offered her a smile as he went for another bite. “For once, I believe Dorian was not overexaggerating. This is delicious. Thank you.”

She returned his smile and tucked into her own meal. “You’re welcome.” She said as she ate with him, looking around to see what all he had painted so far. She was surprised to see that the Winter Palace and the Grey Warden scene hadn’t been added yet. That was confusing to her and her brow furrowed. Didn’t the events with Bianca and Varric only happen after at least one of the missions had been completed? “The Inquisition hasn’t gone to the Winter Palace or Adamant yet?”

He tipped his head ever so slightly as he chewed, watching her. “Everyone is preparing for the Winter Palace now. I think I speak for all of us when I say I will be glad when it is over. Our Lady Ambassador is fussing far too much over it all,” he said as he continued to eat. He sat back in his chair, chewing slowly, and laced his fingers together in his lap. “So tell me about your world. There have been so many rumors circulating since your arrival yesterday, one hardly knows which to believe.”

Jennifer watched him carefully, seeing the way he looked at her with the calculating gaze. It was much more intense in person and she felt the hair raise on the back of her neck. “You are so much more polite than I was thinking you would be. I mean, you are always polite, it’s just that I thought for sure most people would corner us and demand to know what we knew. People are like that; no one wants their secrets to get out. I can respect that,” she said, “What specifically would you like to know? There are many things to tell about our world. Like, no Fade, but everyone dreams. But I think you are more interested in the game.”

She was sharper than he’d given her credit for. And while he was dying to know what exactly she and her sister knew about him, he found his curiosity about her growing stronger by the minute. “The spellbook Dorian used to return from your world. It is yours, yes? Does that mean you have magical abilities as well?” he asked, relaxing his posture and returning to the meal in front of him. There was plenty of time to learn what she knew of the Dread Wolf. That question could wait until later.

That was a question she hadn’t been expecting for certain and she blinked at him. “Well, that’s up for debate. I read tea leaves to get a feeling for a person’s fortune or a question that they might have about themselves or the world around them. I ah… have had some unexplained things happen to me. Mostly when I’m under stress or very angry.” She looked down at the table, remembering the most recent incident at the club where those people had insulted Dorian and Bull. “I got a little upset when some people in my world insulted Dorian. It was like the air around me, ah, caught fire a little bit?”

“Really?” he asked with interest. He hummed thoughtfully to himself as he took another bite, grateful to have the food as an excuse to think over his words before he spoke. “I have never met anyone who wasn’t a mage who had such an ability. Have you had no formal training? It could be that you just have not honed your abilities properly yet.” 

Jennifer laughed. “Well, you see, magic isn’t really part of my world. Not many people believe it exists. We certainly don’t have mages where I come from. Scholars, alchemists, chemists, doctors, engineers. No mages. What my sister and I practice have earned us the title of witches around the town. Most people believe we curse others and bring pain and misery when we just tried to bless the town and make it a better, more prosperous place for them all to live in.” 

“That is because most people fear what they do not understand,” he said softly. He felt a pang of sympathy for her, knowing what it was like to be accused of something you didn’t do, to have your name cursed. “It is hard for me to imagine a world without magic of any sort,” he said. The very thought made his skin crawl. “Even so, it is possible you were born with magical abilities and that being in such a world suppressed them. Perhaps you were simply born in the wrong place and at the wrong time.”

She smiled at that. “A rather scary thought, to think there’s something about me that I don’t know about, that I can’t control.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Who knows. I wouldn’t be surprised. Though, you know, knowing that this place is real, I have to wonder if those who created the game came here or something,” she said, “I hate to say that, I don’t mean to belittle this world and everyone in it. You all are so much more than that to us. To most people in our world. The ones who play. You bring inspiration, emotions, all that wonderful stuff.” 

That was even more unsettling to him. That she and her sister might know who he truly was made him nervous enough as it was. To think that an entire world might know? He cleared his throat as a small frown crossed his lips and his stomach turned. “Indeed, it does make one wonder,” he said slowly. “Spies perhaps? Though the question still remains how they found this world in the first place.” He stared at her for a minute, studying her. “Here I thought this conversation would bring me answers, yet it seems to just bring up more questions,” he said, though it didn’t dishearten him. If anything, it made him a little excited, to learn more about her world, how they came here, and what she might be capable of. “I shall have to look at the book you brought with you. And Dorian’s notes, if he will permit it.” He ate the last of his pie and washed it down with a healthy swallow of wine, then sat back in his chair again with a smile. “Aside from lack of magic, is your world really so different from this one?”

She smiled at him, she could see the question burning in him, like he might burst if he didn’t ask it soon. If he didn’t know the answer. She thought over his question. “We have automobiles, planes, trains to take us all over the world and explore it. I could show you in the Fade if you visit. Might be easier and more believable if you do that. We have devices that can call someone across the world and they are readily available to anyone. Hell, children are using them now so that parents don’t have to worry too much over them when they go to work. I suppose in some ways, it is the same. And different in others. Cities of metal and glass. Concrete. We have war, diseases, politics.” She looked around, above their heads, knowing the walls had ears. “But I think I can guess what question you really want to ask my sister and I. Perhaps not out here in the open?” She waggled her eyebrows at him. Anyone watch would think that the elf just wanted to get them in a room all to himself.

“Oh? And what question might that be?” Solas asked calmly as he picked up his wine glass and took another swallow. He would not show that the question shook him, though now they were getting to the heart of the matter and the reason he’d agreed to this lunch in the first place. Just her suggesting it made him think that they already knew his secret. And he wasn’t certain how to handle that. He carefully set the glass back on his desk, the movement slow and deliberate. His long fingers traced the rim of the delicate glass, and he didn’t meet her eyes. “Perhaps this conversation would be best continued somewhere more private.”

Jennifer felt her heart pounding, but it was for a different reason altogether. This was dangerous. And the gravity of the situation hit her rather hard as she stood up and crooked her finger at him. “There’s a dusty library down in the maze that no one’s been in for a while. I think it would be the perfect place for clearing the air,” she said as she gripped the wine bottle and led the way, feeling, well, shit. She wasn’t sure how she should feel. She liked that Solas was being polite to her, but it was just so he could get what he wanted. That was probably going to be the end of their interactions together. See the spellbook, know that they weren’t going to blow his cover, etc etc. Hopefully, he wouldn’t think that she was going to be in his way. She and her sister had speculated as to why he would need the power of his orb, the power of Mythal. Something like a reckoning, as Mythal had promised. She shook her head as they went downstairs. Time to see where this went.

He followed her, his hands clasped behind his back as he let her lead the way. He didn’t miss the fact that she had grabbed up the wine bottle as they went. A means of defending herself, perhaps? His heart beat faster in his chest. Surely she and her sister knew, then. But he had to hear it for himself, to see what exactly they knew, how accurate their information was. And who else knew his secret. He was struck by how well she knew Skyhold, how she didn’t falter in her steps as she led him to the library. He closed the door behind them, then turned to her expectantly. His voice was low when he spoke to her next. “Tell me what you know of me.”

Jennifer turned her head over her shoulder as she went to the table in the room and dusted the cobwebs from the surface before she set the bottle down on the top and poured two fresh glasses, handing one to him. “First, Solas, I want you to know, you don’t have to pretend to like me. If you don’t, I understand. You do a lot of pretending to these people, but you don’t have to do that with me. I’ve been trying to do my best to understand why you are doing these things.” She took a sip of her wine and studied him for a moment. “I know you don’t have many you can trust. I mean, from what I’ve worked out, everyone betrayed you and Mythal. I think, from what I understand, you were so angry at the other elvhen gods after they killed Mythal that you did something to them to lock them away. Be it a mirror or something larger. I haven’t figured that one out yet.”

Her accuracy was better than he would’ve guessed. He set the glass down on the table and stepped closer to her. Uncomfortably close, probably, but that suited him fine in this situation. “Then you and your sister know who I am.” It wasn’t a question. His eyes held the calculated gleam of a predator as he looked down his nose at her, aware of the way her breath came slightly faster, the mixture of excitement and fear he could see in her dark brown eyes. There was a fear in his own chest, knowing what they knew, what they might do with that information. “Who else knows besides you and your sister?”

She could see the dangerous look in his eyes as he looked her over. The simmering anger, but also the underlying fear that everything he was, everything that he had planned might not come to pass. “No one. Just us. Though, if you are going to kill me over it, make it painless. You should know that your secret is safe with us. Everyone in the Inquisition has secrets. True, they aren’t as big as the ones you carry.” She rubbed at the back of her head, “I know what you’ve been through, waking up in this world and seeing it worse for wear.” She swallowed and remembered the scene where he had dumped her inquisitor. “That you feel bound to make it right.”’

He held her gaze, studying her. “Kill you?” he asked in a level tone, though the thought had crossed his mind. He’d already dismissed it on their way to the library; she would be missed too much by the other members of the inner circle. And he was certain he would never hear the end of Dorian’s whining if he lost one of his personal cooks. He gave a low chuckle. “No. Not now, at least,” he said. “But there is the matter of making sure that this information goes no further. I cannot afford the risk. Something must be done.” 

Her mind focused on what he said, making sure the information didn’t go any further and she gave him a smile. “There is an oath, from the spellbook.” She’d explain it to him like what they did in Harry Potter with the unbreakable vow, but she doubted that he would get the reference. “It’s a spell for an unbreakable promise, the punishment of which is death. Would that be acceptable to you? I wouldn’t do it anyway, you mean… I mean, I wouldn’t tell anyone without the spell, but you know. I know you would like the insurance.”

He thought about it for a moment, then gave a nod of his head. “That sounds acceptable,” he said. He felt the fear and anger in his chest ease. If this were true, he could ensure that no one else found out and his plans would not be ruined by these unexpected new companions. He paused, still standing far too close to her, her pretty face mere inches from his own. There was still one thing burning in his mind, something she hadn’t mentioned yet. “And what do you know of Corypheus?”

“The Magister you thought could unlock your orb and be killed in the explosion? He’s actually figured out a way to gain immortality by splitting himself into half, the other half residing in his pet archdemon. So, when he dies, he just jumps into some other blighted creature and regenerates. What you were going to do with the orb, I could only speculate. I imagine you would have found some way to free the elves. Build some sanctuary for them. Find a way to make them back the way that they once were.” She shook her head, “We needed more information, but it wasn’t shown to us yes what you had done after you reclaimed power from Mythal.”

“I have done no such thing,” he said, then snapped his mouth shut. His heart beat faster in his chest again as a new realization came to him.  “You know the future as well,” he said, his voice slightly breathless. “It is not only what we have done, what has happened so far, you know what is to come.” He took a step back from her, his mind reeling from the information. How had he missed that part before? He narrowed his eyes and locked his gaze with her again. “You must tell me what you know. What will happen, how it all ends.” He had to know if his plan would work. And if not, perhaps there was still time to change it.

She was not expecting the flurry of questions that he threw at her as soon as he figured out she knew what was to come as well and she gave him a smile. “Shh, easy,” she said as she lifted one of her necklaces off and offered it to him, “This is goldstone, a stone of intuition and knowledge, wisdom. It is mine and I give it to you temporarily as an oath and promise that I will not share your secret with anyone other than my sister or yourself. Should the necklace fall off of you, it means I have broken my promise to you and you may inflict whatever punishment you deem fit. My sister and I will work on something a bit more permanent and more binding. So that we won’t be able to actually speak it out. Does that make sense?”

Solas raised an eyebrow skeptically at her. There was no lie in her eyes and he gave a nod as he slipped the necklace over his head and tucked it beneath his shirt. The stone was still warm from her skin as it laid against his chest. “I will accept this for now,” he said, his tone low and warning. “But not for long. I must insist on something more solid, and soon. The fact that you know so much worries me.” 

“You are very smart and clever,” she said, feeling a little giddy, but she sobered up as she remembered the question he had asked her. “Ah. Yes, about Corypheus. I’ve seen how it ends. And I should let you know right now. You broke my heart, you really did. Said you couldn’t distract me from my duty when it was really me who distracted you from yours. You thought for a moment that you could live in this world, accept everyone as real, that they could become more… but then you steeled yourself because you didn’t believe you could be happy.” She closed her eyes and swallowed and shook her head. “Maybe things will be different. Just think about everyone here that you meet Solas. How much value there is in every single person you meet.  Your orb. It doesn’t survive the final encounter. It’s shattered.”

He felt his heart stop at that and an anger flash through him. He opened his mouth to speak, then snapped it shut again, a muscle working in his jaw. His hands clenched into fists, but he kept them at his sides as he tried to process all the information. “It will be different,” he swore, a dark look crossing his features. All of his plans would be ruined if he could not recover his orb. He would not make that mistake. He had made too many mistakes as it was. He growled through his teeth and threw his hands in the air. “Why can I not foresee these things?” he asked, more to himself than to her. “Is every plan I attempt bound to failure? I…” He drew a deep breath, calming himself, and he looked at her again. “Thank you, Jennifer, for telling me this. Perhaps there is still time to stop this before it happens.”

Jennifer tilted her head at him and reached out, placing a hand on his arm. She could feel him trembling beneath her touch. “You don’t have to do this alone. I’m sure that Lindsey and I could come up with something to help you save the orb.  You should stop by our quarters tonight. We will have something worked out that will be more of a permanent solution. I swear.” 

There was a surprising comfort in her touch and he lowered his guard just a fraction. Perhaps their being here was a blessing. He gave her a shaky nod. “I will,” he said softly, wanting so badly to trust her, yet telling himself that he should not. This was not her burden to bear. He let out a slow breath and stood up straighter. “I should let you return to your duties. I will see you tonight.”


	3. Chapter 3

“You promised him  _ what?”  _ Lindsey hissed as she and her sister worked to prepare dinner that night. The knife in her hand slipped and skittered across the worktable. “Goddammit,” she grumbled and snatched the knife up again. She heaved a sigh and looked down at the meat she was slicing into thin pieces. “I mean, I get it. I do. We have to prove to him that we won’t say anything. But, jeezus, when did this turn into Harry Potter? Wrong fandom, Jen! Wrong fandom!” she cried, turning and smacking her sister repeatedly on the shoulder.

Jennifer winced away from her sister as she stirred a pot of rich tomato sauce, adding a few spices in when she pleased before tasting it, just to make certain it was just right. “I know there are spells in Gramma’s book that can be modified to suit our purpose here. Or do you want him to decide that we are too big of a risk to take and to have us just accidentally slip over the side of the battlements? Besides, I figure it will be a modification of that spell that welcomes those into a pact, the coven. Though, instead of the sisters having to kill the one who broke the pact, the spell does it for you? Oh…” She trailed off, “What about a life or death clause? Shit. This is why I hate fine print shit. I don’t want to lose you to something this stupid, sis. You’re all I’ve got left in this strange world. The only one. I can’t ...I’m not losing you damn it!” She turned again and held her hands up over her eyes as she tried to hide her tears.   

“Whoa, hey, I’m not that mad about it!” Lindsey cried and dropped the knife on the table with a clatter as she moved to wrap her arms around her sister. “Hey, shush. It’s okay. It’s a good idea. It’s not like we were going to tell anyone anyway,” she soothed, running a hand over her sister’s hair. She glared at the servants who stared at them. “Piss off, she’s had a long day!” she barked and turned her sister to shield her from prying eyes. “Listen, we’ll work it out. It’ll be alright.” She pulled back and wiped away the tears. “Come on, now. But really, pushing me off the battlements? He’d have to get me up there first,” she teased, but shuddered violently. “You know I’m terrified of heights.” She smiled when Jennifer gave a little laugh. “We’ll work on it tonight after dinner. It’ll be okay.”

* * *

 

Dinner was ready before too long and Jennifer had to say that she was rather pleased with how the pizzas turned out. Even some of the other cooks, who had prepared some roast boar or whatever to feed everyone else. Some tasteless stew, with chunks of druffalo meat in it. They were coming over and sniffing at the pies that she and her sister now took out of the oven. Jennifer laughed, “I think we made more than enough. I hope at least. I don’t think Dorian’s stopped bragging yet. We might have a full house up there to serve. Unless of course Dorian and Bull chased them off, doing that whole seagull thing from Finding Nemo. Mine! Mine! Mine!” 

Lindsey threw her head back with a laugh, then looked at her sister with big eyes. “Mine? Mine?” she mimicked. She snickered as she cut the pies, then grabbed up a couple of them. “Now that’s gonna be stuck in my head all night,” she said. “Come on, let’s feed them before Dorian hunts us down.” She nodded as her sister picked up the others, save for one left out if the other cooks wanted to try it. She led the way up to the Great Hall, grinning at the full table where most of the inner circle sat. “Here you are, dahhhhling,” she drawled as she set one of the pies in front of Dorian.

Dorian sat up straighter from where he had been leaning over on the table, talking to Varric about that blasted book he seemed intent on writing, now more than ever. He glanced at Cassandra and attributed the dwarf’s sudden inspiration to write yet ‘another’ Swords and Shields to be entirely her fault. “Ah Lindsey! We were beginning to wonder if you and your sister might have gotten into a fight with the other cooks. I don’t think they like being shown that there are better ways to go about doing their jobs,” he said as he peered down at the pizza and he grinned, “I remember this! I thought you had to send out for it. Fascinating that you made it on your own.” He picked up a large slice, the cheese clinging to the rest of the pizza as he did and he laughed as he tugged it free. “Just like I remember!”

She laughed at that. “It’s not that hard to make,” she confessed. “We just couldn’t make it ourselves that night because  someone,”  she paused and gave him a pointed look, “conjured up a storm so bad it knocked out the power.” She looked expectantly at the rest of the table before gesturing at them. “Well go ahead. Help yourselves before it gets cold.”

Cassandra couldn’t help the slight smirk that touched the corner of her lips. She truly was spoiled to this food after eating it for weeks on end back in the other world. She eagerly helped herself to a slice and bit into it, not even caring that the cheese burned the top of her mouth. “I am going to have to up my training,” she muttered, speaking around a mouthful. She snickered at the look Varric gave her and clapped a hand over her mouth, chewing and swallowing before she spoke again. “Do not look at me like that. You know there is not a ladylike bone in my body.”

Varric laughed aloud and grinned as he plucked two slices from the pizza and pulled them over to his plate. “Oh, I don’t know about that, Seeker,” he said as he slipped his hand under the table and gave her knee a firm squeeze. He had spent most of last night and the morning finding all of the ladylike parts of Cassandra Pentaghast. “Let’s hope that Ruffles doesn’t squeeze you into a dress for the Winter Palace. There won’t be anything left after you go on your rampage. Just, try not to break any arms.”  Varric bit into his own slice of pizza, groaning at the wonderful taste. He really had to commend Dorian, this was the best idea he had ever had. His eyes flickered around the table and he paused. He swallowed his current bite, giving a look to Cassandra before he looked around, “Anyone seen Curly? He wasn’t here for lunch either. Don’t tell me he’s still working or calibrating who knows what again.”

Josephine couldn’t stop the way her eyes fluttered as she chewed slowly, savoring every bite of the foreign food. “Dorian, you are spoiling us by sharing this. Truly,” she said before she turned her attention to Varric. “Our commander has been in his office most of the day, working nonstop, as usual.” Her tone sounded disapproving and a slight frown crossed her lips. “It seems we can barely pry him from that office these days.”

Cassandra glanced at Varric out of the corner of her eye, fighting the urge to smirk or to smack him, she wasn’t entirely sure which. She knew what he was doing. Of course, she suspected Jennifer and Lindsey had known what they were doing that morning they had left herself and Varric alone in the hotel room, too. “Perhaps someone should take him a bite to eat,” she said, pointedly not looking at anyone as she spoke.

Lindsey glanced around and spoke up before anyone else could. “I’ll do it,” she offered and grabbed an empty plate, piling a few slices on it. She had to bite her lips hard to fight the fangirlish smile. “I’ll be back,” she said cheerily and trotted off, letting her feet carry her through the rotunda and out the door towards Cullen’s office. Her heart hammered in her chest as she walked, partly from getting to see Cullen again and partly because that battlement was really damn high. “Don’t look down,” she muttered to herself. “And don’t fuck this up, dumbass.” 

She had to grab the plate with both hands to keep from dropping it, her hands shook so much as she approached his office. For a split second, she almost turned around and went back, afraid of making a fool of herself. Even in the cold evening air, she could feel her face burning. She drew a deep breath to calm herself, then knocked on the door and poked her head in, seeing him leaning over his desk, staring at the papers littered across its surface. “C-Cullen?” she asked, mentally kicking herself for stuttering. 

The images in his head, the voices, the song. It was so loud that day. He had trouble focusing as he worked over the multitude of reports that he had received during the day. They never ended. That and the recruits he had been running through drills that morning didn’t know the sharp end from the handle. It was just so infuriating. His headache had progressively gotten worse and the urge to get out the lyrium was stronger than ever. Maker give him strength. 

His eyes were unfocused on the papers in front of him and the sharp knock on his door made the pain lance through his temple and he looked up quickly. “What?!” he hissed before he stopped himself, seeing not the face of one of the messengers, but one of the newcomers from the other world. He made quickly to stand. “Ah, my Lady Lindsey. Forgive me,” he said weakly, “Please, come in. I was merely...” He looked back down at the mess of papers on his desk, “going over reports.”

She flinched when he snapped, but stepped into his office, quietly closing the door behind her. “They said you would be here, still working,” she said as she walked closer. She could see a strain in his eyes, the crease in his brow from stress or god-knew-what bullshit he had to deal with that day. “They said you missed lunch,” she said as she finally reached his desk. She held out the plate of pizza to him. “So I thought I’d bring you some dinner. If you’re hungry, that is.”

Cullen blinked, feeling even worse for have snapped at her as he saw the strange food she offered over to him. He massaged his temples before he reached out to take the plate from her. “Ah, thank you. I was very busy today. It always seems as if there is one more thing to yet handle,” he murmured and moved some papers aside so he could set the plate down. “Such an odd food. Something from your world? The others have been talking about it,” he said as he leaned over and sniffed at it. It was still hot and smelled divine. He was surprised that his stomach growled in hunger for the first time that day. He’d been fighting some nausea from his headaches for the most of the day as well. 

She nodded. “It’s pizza. Probably the most popular dish in my country,” she said with a laugh. “You just pick it up by the crust and bite into it,” she added, remembering how Dorian had first made comments about eating with his fingers. She watched him for a moment, feeling concerned. “Headache?” she asked softly. She chewed her lip for a moment, wondering if he’d share with her or not. “Or is it just the stress of everything today?”

He poked at a slice before he picked it up like she instructed and took a bite from it. The crust was crispy and had a good crunch to it and the cheese and meats on the top were savory and he groaned at the taste. His eyes fell closed as he quickly took a larger second and third bite. He paused for a moment, chewing carefully. He sighed as he swallowed and looked over at her. “A bit of both actually. The stress creates the headache and sometimes the headache creates more stress. I can never win it seems. This is delicious, did you make it?” He smiled and ate some more,  speaking between bites, “I respect anyone who can cook. My abilities leave much to be desired.”

She gave a little laugh at that. “Yeah, I made it,” she answered, beaming a bit that he liked it. She was rather proud of herself again for not fangirl squealing. Of course, that wouldn’t have helped his headache at all. “Is there something I can get you for your headache? Some aspirin or…” She stopped herself and nearly snorted. “Nevermind, you don’t have aspirin here. Is there something that will help with the pain, though? Headaches suck. I hate to think of you hurting like that.”

He gave her a sad smile and shook his head. “No thank you. I have some elfroot tea I’ll drink later. It tastes terrible, but it usually helps with the pain. I’ve learned to work through it for the most part. Thank you for the concern. I will be alright.” He studied her for a moment, remembering the rumors circulating about the women, the sisters that had come back with the others. That they knew things. He didn’t want to think what these strangers knew about him or his addiction. “I’m not sure what you may know about me already, but I hope that I can raise your expectations of me.”

She moved to lean against the edge of his desk, giving him a small smile. “I already think pretty highly of you,” she admitted, feeling a blush touch her cheeks again. She pushed a piece of hair behind her ear, trying to keep herself from tripping over her words or saying something completely stupid. She supposed there was no sense in lying to him. “I know you’ve given up lyrium,” she said carefully. “And I know it’s hard on you. But I admire you for that. Letting go of an addiction isn’t easy.” She gave a mirthless laugh. “Trust me, I know. I haven’t had a cigarette in over twenty-four hours and I’m ready to climb the walls right now. So I can’t imagine how you feel.”

Cullen let himself sink back in his chair, not sure how he should feel about the whole situation. “Forgive me. This whole thing is rather… bizarre. Do you know everyone’s secrets within the Inquisition?” He rubbed the back of his neck as he watched her nod and he looked down at the plate of food. “But you helped Cassandra and the others return here. Possibly saved their lives. And Bull certainly seems to trust you.” He sighed, “Can I trust you to be discreet about my current condition? I feel as though already too many people know about it at present.”

“I won’t say anything to anyone, Cullen. I promise,” she said. “And I agree that this is bizarre. I never thought I would find myself here. I like being here, but I feel like I’m making people uncomfortable since they know that I know so much about them. I can imagine how unnerving that would be. I’m sorry if I make you feel awkward because of it,” she apologized. “I won’t say a word about it. But if you need someone to talk to, I’m willing to listen. You know, someone outside of the inner circle. I won’t judge.”

He gave her a smile. That was something he hadn’t thought about. An outsider who wouldn’t judge or lump him in with the other lyrium addicts out in the world. It would be nice to have someone with a neutral opinion on matters. “Thank you. I will consider it. It is getting easier, I have been months without lyrium and hopefully the worst is behind me now. I hope that you will be able to overcome your own addiction.”

“Ha! Well, as far as I know they don’t have cigarettes here, so it’s not like I have a choice,” she said with a laugh. “And if they do, don’t tell me. I’ve needed to quit for a long time anyway. It’s better this way.” She stood up straight again and reached over to give the back of his neck a comforting squeeze. “I’ll let you finish your dinner. I hope your headache goes away so you can get some rest tonight.”

He coughed, a blush rising to his cheeks as her slender fingers gave him a firm squeeze and he managed a smile for her, bowing his head to her. “Thank you, Lady Lindsey. It is my hope as well. And thank you again for dinner. I doubt I would have remembered on my own.” 

He sighed as he watched her go and he leaned back in his chair, staring after the closed door a moment longer before his eyes flickered to the plate and the remaining food on it. As if on cue, his stomach growled again and he gave a groan before he sat up so he could eat the rest of the food.

* * *

 

Lindsey felt a little giddy as she walked back to the Great Hall. Cullen liked her food and she hadn’t made a fool of herself. She was still beaming when she approached the table where the inner circle sat. But one person was glaringly missing. “Where’s Jen?” she asked, tipping her head slightly at the absence of her sister.

Cassandra finished chewing and swallowed. “She took some food with her and went to her room,” she answered. “She said she had important research to do and asked for the spellbook back from Dorian.”

“Oh,” Lindsey said, suddenly remembering the oath they had to make to Solas. He wasn’t at the table either. In fact, she couldn’t remember seeing him their earlier. Goddamn unwashed apostate hobo. She nearly snorted in amusement for cursing him like that, although she knew her sister wouldn’t approve. Well, there was no sense in delaying it further. She heaved a sigh. “Well… crapbaskets. I better go see what she’s up to,” she said and grabbed up a plate of food for herself and hurried off before they could ask any questions.


	4. Chapter 4

Lindsey found Jennifer in her room, just as Cassandra had said. And Solas was already there, just as Lindsey had suspected. They were both eating pizza and looking over the spellbook. “Get pizza sauce on that book and I’ll murder you in your sleep,” she warned them. “And I’ll enlist Dorian’s help to do it.”

Jennifer laughed and shook her head. “I know, I know. This book is as important to me as it is to you,” she said as she popped the last bite of pizza into her mouth and brushed her hands off on her pants, “Come here and give us your opinion on this variation of a circle. It could serve our needs here.” She pointed out a sentence. “Let me keep my secret well, what I know I’ll never tell.” She looked to Solas and then back at her sister, “Would that satisfy all parties involved?”

Solas looked it over one more time. “I believe we can work with this,” he agreed as he finished off the last slice of his pizza. He felt better now that he had both of the sisters in one room and they were agreeing to keeping his secret. He looked at the redhead as she settled herself on the floor with her own plate of food. “I assume your sister discussed this with you already?”

“Mmhmm,” she answered with an unimpressed look on her face. She chewed her pizza slowly as she scooted closer to Jennifer and read over the words on the page. It was intended as an oath to the coven, to keep the secrets. If the oath was broken, it was grounds for banishment or execution. “I still say this is unnecessary,” she muttered. “You really want to try and take real magic,” she said, pointing at the spellbook, “and smoosh it together with a concept from fiction? And unbreakable vow. Yes, nothing can possibly go wrong here. Thanks for putting that idea in my sister’s head, JK Rowling.”

Jennifer shrugged. “Mixing magic? Oh yeah, what’s the worst that can happen? Let’s just hope it doesn’t pull us through to our world again. I’m ready to wash my hands of that,” she said as she sat on her knees, reading over the words and worked her lip between her teeth, “This goes both ways, Solas. We can’t tell the secrets about you. Nor you about us. Not that we have many of those.” She chuckled, “This is more like,” she gestured into the air, “a bond between all of us. Are you certain you want to do this?”

Solas nodded immediately. He was willing to do anything to keep his secret from getting out. He took the book from her and laid it on the floor in front of him, reading over the words and reworking them in his head. He flexed his fingers, a magical energy beginning to glow in each of his hands. This was complicated magic, different than anything he’d ever done before, but he was confident that he could make it work. If Dorian could use the spells in this book to cross between worlds, surely he himself could create a binding spell. He focused on what she had said earlier about it killing them if they told a soul. He made sure to keep that firmly in his mind. “You understand that this is serious? Should you break this oath, the magic will kill you,” he said, still letting the magic build and grow in his hands as he looked at both of them.

“Yeah, and if we don’t take this oath, then you’ll kill us, right?” Lindsey snipped. She cringed a bit at the look he shot her. Probably best not to antagonize him. She gave a nod. “Yes, I understand,” she said in a more solemn tone. 

Jennifer nodded. “Not going to tell anyone your secrets anyway. Not ours to tell in the first place,” she said as she looked at her sister, reaching across the circle and gave her hand a firm squeeze. “You okay with this? I really, really don’t want to see you die. I don’t want any of us to,” she said, reaching up and wiping away a tear. She was too damned emotional for this. 

“Jeez, you really think I have that big of a mouth?” Lindsey teased. She shook her head at her sister. “I’m not gonna say anything to anyone anyway. And especially not now. Shit.”

“Enough,” Solas said firmly. He looked down at the book again. “Let them keep my secret well, what they know they shall never tell,” he read aloud, changing the words slightly from what was written on the page. He felt a bit silly reciting such a thing, but it was the intent and the focus that was important. He felt the pressure from the magic building in his hands. “We came to this place alone, but shall leave here, bound. If you make this promise, you vow to keep secret all you know of me, my history, my plans. And in return, I vow to protect you. With this oath, our journey together begins. Do you accept?” He held out his hands to them, both of his hands glowing with a blue magical energy that would immediately bind them together.

Jennifer raised an eyebrow at the version of the spell Solas recited. It was rather exciting and she nodded, reaching out and taking his hand, letting her fingers curl around his own. She had to suck in a breath as she felt the magic, cool and tingling run up her arm and settle somewhere in her chest. She looked down at the book. “Lady of mysteries, guardian of all knowledge, both known and unknown, let me keep his secrets well. What I know I’ll never tell. For the good of all, so mote it be.”

Lindsey felt the magic shoot up her arm, making her jump. She repeated the words her sister said, feeling breathless as she sat there, wondering what in the world she had just done. Had she really just bound herself to the Dread Wolf? A thrill of terror shot up her spine at the thought, her hand still clasped tightly in Solas’ hand. “Wow,” she breathed and carefully pulled her hand back, staring at it for a moment. 

Jennifer couldn’t stop the shudder that went through her and she sat back, closing her eyes for a moment as she felt out the magic in the air. It was nearly palpable it was so strong. “Talk about mixing magics,” she muttered, looking over to Solas as she pulled her hand back. He looked… stunned almost. “So. You believe us now, right?”

Solas looked at them for a moment, not certain what he was feeling. Exhaustion, for one. It came on so suddenly, but he supposed it was because he had tapped into a power he hadn’t attempted to use in quite some time. What he hadn’t anticipated was the protectiveness that seemed to curl in his chest, the wolf there nearly growling. “Yes,” he answered, surprised to hear the relief and tiredness in his voice. And he knew in that moment that the spell had worked, that they would be unable to speak of his secret to anyone who did not already know it. Meaning himself and each other, of course. “I admit, I was skeptical at first. But it would seem that the spell worked. I would, of course, advise against testing it.”

Jennifer smiled and laughed, moving to lean back against her bedframe, letting her eyes droop. “Aww, but where is the fun in that?” she teased, looking over at her sister, “That was… interesting.” She couldn’t stifle the yawn that suddenly went through her and she gave Solas a lazy look. “So, I’ve always been curious, can you change into a giant white wolf with six eyes?” she asked with a grin

He gave a chuckle as he sat back, a soft smile on his lips. Maybe it was the exhaustion or perhaps the fact that he now knew that he could trust her, but he felt much more at ease discussing this with her. “Yes,” he answered. “Though it has been a long time since I have done it. Without my orb, my source of power, it is nearly impossible for me at the moment. But my strength is growing. I have not attempted to transform since joining the Inquisition.”

Lindsey couldn’t stop the yawn that split her face. “Yeah, I’mma go to bed now,” she murmured and got to her feet. She swayed slightly and had to shake her head to wake herself up. “I’ll be across the hall in my room. Or possibly in the hall, if I pass out before I make it there,” she said, giving them a wave before she disappeared through the door, closing it behind her.

Jennifer smiled and moved to lay down on the dusty floor. “I’d like to see that some time. You have to show me.” She felt bad almost, remembering that his orb breaks. “I’m going to see what I can do to help you get it back.” She wasn’t sure what he was going to do with his power back, she had speculations, but that was all they were. She imagined they had something to do with freeing the elven people.

He gave her a small smile, wanting to believe her. “It is not your burden to bear, Jennifer. But I appreciate the sentiment all the same,” he said. He knew he needed to get up and return to the rotunda, but he was so tired and the floor was strangely comfortable and cool as he sat there. The gravity of the ritual seemed to sink into him. “I would not have asked you and your sister to make such an oath if it were not important,” he said. “But I hope you believe me when I say that my part of the bargain is just as true. In return for keeping my secret, I will do all I can to protect you and your sister.”

Jennifer nodded at him. “I was surprised you put that in there, binding yourself like that. I appreciate it. Really,” she said as rolled over onto her side, propping her head up with one arm as she looked at him. He looked like he was about to fall asleep. “That spell really took a lot out of you, didn’t it?” She remembered the gameplay with him. How angry she was, hearing him saying that he had to do this on his own, that it was his burden to bear. She frowned then. “It’s not true, you know. You shouldn’t shoulder everything by yourself. You’ve done everything on your own because you didn’t have a choice. You aren’t alone. These people here, they can help you. Corypheus was a mistake, but who would have thought that bastard would be immortal?”

It was so strange to speak openly about this. He had closely guarded his secret for so long. “It was a mistake no one could have foreseen,” he said with a sad shake of his head. A long sigh escaped him as he settled back a little more against the wall, tipping his head back to stare up at the ceiling. “It is my burden to bear, because it was my mistake. The others are helping, whether they realize it or not. The Inquisition exists to stop Corypheus. That is the first step. Beyond that, it is my responsibility to make things right again.”

“It doesn’t have to be,” she muttered as she pushed herself up to stand and walked over to stand in front of him, looking down at him. “Or is it you have to do everything yourself because you can’t bring yourself to trust anyone else? I suppose after everything you’ve been through, trust is hard to come by.” She pressed her lips thin and held out her hand to him, “Come on, you’ll get a terrible backache if you stay down there. Get in bed.”

He almost didn’t want to move, but he reached out and took her hand, letting her help him to his feet. He pressed a fist to his mouth to stifle a yawn. He had to blink several times to keep himself awake and he gave his head a sharp shake. “I did not anticipate the spell exhausting me so,” he said, almost apologetically. He let her lead him over to her bed and practically collapsed on it with a groan. “Perhaps combining magics is not a wise idea after all,” he murmured, wondering if Dorian had been this exhausted. His eyes were heavy as he stretched out on the soft mattress. “I shouldn’t,” he half-heartedly protested as she covered him up.

Jennifer laughed softly as she covered him up, his protest was weak at best. “Hush, I’ve always wanted to say I’ve got Fen’Harel in my bed.” She gave him a smile and smoothed the covers over him. “You rest now. You work too hard as it is and you are really, REALLY too hard on yourself,” she said as she pointed a finger at his nose before she toed off her shoes and crawled over him to the other side of the bed and flopped down on the covers, turning her head into the pillow, a grin on her face, even as she yawned, “Mmm, I can finally die happy.”

He turned his head to look at her, shaking his head slowly. He was certain this was inappropriate at best, yet he didn’t have the strength or the energy to care. A soft, lazy smile crossed his lips as he looked at her, her dark hair spread across her pillow, the contented smile on her lips, the way she looked at him through the thick fringe of her lashes. For a moment, he was tempted to reach out and touch her face, to run his fingers through her hair. What had gotten into him? He supposed it was the spell. Perhaps his mind would be clearer in the morning. “Sleep well, Jennifer,” he murmured softly as he himself drifted off, falling into a deep restful sleep. 


	5. Chapter 5

Lindsey knocked on the door to Cullen’s office, carrying a large plate of eggs, ham, and toast. She didn’t wait for him to answer before she opened the door. “Alright, mister, you skipped lunch yesterday, you tried to skip dinner. If you’re not gonna take care of yourself-” she teased, but frowned when she found his office empty. She could’ve swore Josephine had said that he would be here. No one had seen him yet that morning. “Cullen?” she called out and set the plate on his desk. 

When he didn’t answer her from upstairs, she started to worry. Maybe he wasn’t out of bed yet? “Cullen?” she called again, louder this time. Still no answer. She chewed her lip wondering what to do. She didn’t want to invade his personal space, but she was worried. She looked at the ladder that led up to his room. “Oh, you’re going to make me climb up there, aren’t you?” she whined as she walked over to it, looking up and calling his name again. She snorted as she grabbed the first rungs. “You’re lucky I like you, commander,” she muttered under her breath as she began to climb. 

Her arms shook as she climbed up, gripping each rung so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She could feel her stomach churning and she reminded herself over and over not to look down. She’d go dizzy if she looked down and then she’d be in a right mess. She peered over the edge of the landing as she reached the top, her eyes widening when she saw him face-first on the floor. “Cullen!” she cried and climbed the rest of the way into his loft, rushing over to his side. His skin was fevered, a sweat on his forehead, and he didn’t respond when she shook his shoulder. “Fuck,” she cursed and looked around, seeing a pitcher and basin over in one corner. She hurried over to it and wet a rag with the cool water, then knelt next to him, swiping it over his face. “Come on, wake up,” she said softly as she rolled him over and pressed the rag to his forehead. “Wake up.”

Cullen woke with a shout, trying to jerk back from his captors. “No! Leave me be! I will not falter! You cannot break me. You will not!” He forced his eyes open, his breathing ragged. There was pain in every fiber of his being and he felt sick to his stomach. For a moment, fear filled his eyes as he stared at the woman in front of him. She… she was not one of Uldred’s mages. He shuddered, feeling his stomach give a lurch and he turned, throwing up onto the floor behind him. It was meager, just water and bile but he couldn’t stop heaving. His body was tight, tense, and he clenched at the floorboards, scraping his nails across the wood. Maker help him, it had never been this bad before. He pushed himself over to roll onto his side, trying to ignore the tears in his eyes. 

Lindsey thought her heart might break for him, seeing him struggle like this. The game never made it seem this bad. “Shh, it’s okay,” she said softly and reached out with the rag again, wiping at his face, soothing it across his eyes at the same time. She didn’t want to hurt his pride on top of it all. She fixed him with a level gaze. “You need to rest,” she said. “I know you want to work. I know you’re proud. But you need to take care of yourself, too.” She stood up and offered him her hand. “Let me help you get back to bed.”

Cullen groaned and he shook his head, wishing he hadn’t. The nausea and aches were absolutely horrible. “Don’t… I don’t want to move,” he gasped out, “Everything hurts.” He grasped at her hand tightly, trying to make her understand, to see the danger. He wasn’t expecting her grip to be firmer than his own and he was surprised to be pulled somewhat off of the floor and pushed towards his bed. He groaned and bowed over his knees, trying to regain some sense of himself. “No no no, the troops, I still need to run them through drills and inspect the barrack and the trebuchets.” He felt sicker the more he thought about. As if his mind was an ocean and he was just a tiny boat upon it, clinging on for dear life. “I cannot fail,” he managed to get out, looking to Lindsey. He recognized her now, through the haze of his mind that wouldn’t stop moving. “My Lady, help me please… Cassandra will know… she will know what to do… and my…” He paused and looked around, “My tea…”

“I won’t let you fail,” she said softly, though she firmly moved him towards his bed and made him lie down. He was soaked with sweat and shaking all over. Unsure of what to do, she pulled the sheet up over him, but left the blanket where it was. “Cullen, if you don’t get better, you can’t do your job,” she said. “Now you stay here. I mean it.” She nearly cringed at the harshness in her voice, but damn it all, he needed to rest. “I’ll get your tea. Try not to worry. It’s going to be okay.” She tossed aside the rag she’d used and grabbed a clean one from its spot on the table and wet it like she had the first, pausing to swipe it across his forehead again. “Try to rest, hon. I’ll be right back. I promise.”

Ah fuck, she had to climb back down that ladder. She cursed it with every step, but made it to the bottom and hurried out of his office, going straight for where she knew Cassandra’s training dummies were. That was where she always found the Seeker in the game. And she was relieved to find her there now. 

“Cass!” she called out, drawing the other woman’s attention as she hurried over, not wanting to be overheard. “Cullen’s really sick. I need to get that tea for him. His withdrawal is bad right now,” she said in a hushed voice. 

Cassandra pressed her lips to a hard line and nodded, sheathing her sword as she led the way. “I’ve been worried about him,” she confessed in an equally hushed tone. She shook her head as Lindsey told her what had happened. “He pushes himself too hard. Come with me. Dorian knows how to make the tea that will help. Such things are not my forte. If he is as bad as you say, I would not risk making the tea too weak.” She led the way to Dorian’s nook, grabbing his arm and pulling him over to the window, ignoring his cry of protest. “Cullen is sick,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “The withdrawal is getting worse, not better. I do not want to crowd him, or embarrass him further. Can you make some of that tea and let Lindsey take it to him?”

“Manhandling!” Dorian protested but paused as his mind caught up with him and he narrowed a look at Lindsey and Cassandra. “Are you certain? He was much improved yesterday, though, I imagine since he skipped breakfast, lunch and most likely didn’t remember to drink his tea before sleeping last night. I warned him about this!” he said with a huff and turned to lead the way to the undercroft where they stored potions. It was thankfully empty and Dorian was able to pick up the ingredients he needed to make a stronger version of the tea. “Here, Lindsey, pay attention. Too much of this and it’s going to be as bad as me driving a car, understood? No more than three tablespoons of the embrium and elfroot into the cup of tea. Pour the hot water until it is full and brew for about six minutes.” He handed her the cup and motioned at the jars on the potion station, “Perhaps you should consider taking more with you.” 

Lindsey concentrated hard on what Dorian told her, trying to commit it all to memory. “Thank you, Dorian,” she said as she took the cup from him, balancing it carefully. She hurried back the way she’d came, wondering how in the world she was supposed to climb that goddamn ladder with a full cup of tea in her hand. She made it back to Cullen’s office and looked up, cursing it all over again, and began to climb up, carrying the cup carefully. “Shitballs,” she breathed when she finally stood in his room and she hurried over to his bed. “Cullen,” she said softly and sat on the edge of his bed, wrapping her arm around him to help him sit up. “Here. I have your tea. Drink it.”

Cullen groaned as he was forced to sit up again. Every movement seemed to be agony, winding down into a singular point until all he knew was the arm around his back and the cup being pressed to his lips. He gave a soft moan as the strong tea passed his lips and he drank carefully, the pain in his body relaxing just a fraction. He shivered as his stomach protested and he tried to drink down more, but he couldn’t. He shook his head, trying to turn his head away from her. “Please. No more…” He trailed off. Maker, Lindsey had seen him like this. So much for keeping his secrets close. “Maker, I’m so sorry. This is... I’ll be fine... I just need to...” He moved to get out of bed, the agony costing him something, but he would refuse to appear weak. He was stopped by a firm grip on his shoulder.

“Boy, I will conk you on the head if I have to,” she said in a warning tone and pushed him back down again. Her expression softened as she looked at him. “No one is going to think less of you, Cullen. If anyone asks what’s wrong, we’ll just tell them you caught a bit of a flu. They don’t need to know more than that. But you need your rest or it’s just going to get worse,” she insisted. Good gods, this man was stubborn. She ran a hand through his untidy hair, studying him as the tea seemed to start to take affect. “Are you sure you don’t want to drink the rest of it? I know you said it tastes awful, but I’m sure it will help. I don’t want you to hurt like this.”

Cullen allowed himself to be pushed back against the headboard with a groan and he accepted the tea from her, his hands shaking as he held it. “Andraste preserve me, you remind me of my sister Mia. Except more bossier,” he said as he looked up at her, reaching up with a shaking hand to wipe away the tears that had gathered there. He lifted the glass and pinched his nose, swallowing the contents of the cup quickly. The hot burn he welcomed as it scalded his throat and tried to give him some sort of anchor.

A smirk touched her lips. “I’ll take that as a compliment,” she said as she took the cup back from him. “I always liked Mia, what little I knew of her from the game.” She stood again and set the tea aside, happy to see that he seemed more like himself already. “I didn’t mean to intrude when I came up here. I brought you breakfast and when I didn’t see you, well, I got concerned.” She turned to him again, watching him carefully. “It’s still downstairs on your desk. If you want to eat it, I can get it for you. But if you’re not hungry at the moment, I understand. I won’t push you to eat right now.”

He thought over it. They told him he needed to eat more, that he was starting to look too thin. Dorian had explained that the tea would also help with his nausea. At least long enough so he would be able to get something substantial down. He turned green at the thought of the kitchen’s version of breakfast and he looked to Lindsey, alarmed, “Did you cook it?”

“Of course I did,” she answered. “I’ll go get it and let you decide if you want it or not.” She walked across the room, grumbling at the ladder again, and climbed down. “Well at least I’ll be in shape when this is all said and done,” she said as she grabbed up the plate, happy to see that it was at least still warm. She climbed back up and walked over to his bed, offering it to him. “You just had to choose the highest point in this whole damn place as your room, didn’t you?” she teased, hoping maybe it might lift his spirits a bit.

He offered her an apologetic smile. “This might sound silly to you, but I always wanted a treehouse when I was a little boy.” He blushed and rubbed at the back of his neck. “I wanted this to remind me that boy still exists,” he said as he took the plate from her. The eggs were still hot and they smelled better than the runny eggs and gruel they served in the barracks. “Thank you… for everything this morning. I’m sorry to say that I might have fallen down the ladder if you hadn’t come along.”

Lindsey shuddered violently at that. “Yeah, that would’ve been no bueno,” she said as she moved to sit on the bed again, facing him. By the gods, that blush on his face just made her want to jump him. “You’re welcome. I’m just glad I found you. I’d hate to think of how long you might’ve laid there if I hadn’t checked on you.” She shook her head, but smiled at him. “And see? I learned something new about you. I didn’t know you wanted a treehouse when you were little. So I guess I don’t know everything about everyone.” She rather liked that idea, of not being all-knowing. It seemed fairer to her, like it put them on a more even playing field. 

He managed a smile at her and looked down at the plate, his stomach still churning a little bit and he closed his eyes, knowing that he had to at least try to eat something. “I’m sorry you had to see me like this. I really was doing better. It comes and goes, I’m so tired of trying to predict when they might happen. It’s only a matter of time before I collapse in front of my men.” He frowned as he cut into a piece of ham and scooped up some eggs, “Perhaps it would be better if Cassandra recommended a replacement for me.”

“She won’t,” Lindsey said before she even thought about it. “Even if you ask her, she won’t do it. She believes in you, that you’re still more than capable of leading the Inquisition’s forces.” She gave him a sympathetic look. “You don’t have to be sorry. I told you last night I wouldn’t judge you for this. I meant that,” she said softly. “You can get through this. You can beat this addiction. Cassandra believes you can do it. And so do I.”

Cullen studied her for a moment, not sure what he could say to that. “You seem so certain and yet you’ve only just met me. I’m not certain if I should be so sure. Is that what you see in my future? That I am able to beat this?” he asked. There was some comfort to be had in that, even if he wasn’t sure he believed it. “Or is this one instance, one path that I fail?” He sighed, “I should be taking the lyrium. My men deserve no less from me than what I devoted to the Chantry.  They deserve a commander who is clear minded.”

She shook her head. “You don’t need lyrium for that. It’ll get better. You’ve made it this far. You’re not going to fail now. You’ve got so many good people around you, who care about you. They won’t let you fail,” she said. “You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for. And I know how important your work is to you, but pushing yourself so hard isn’t helping. Just… stop and breathe every now and then. You will overcome this.” She paused and gave him a small smile. “I don’t need my cards to see that.”

He gave her a slight smile and looked down at his plate before he cautiously took a bite of food. His stomach protested a little bit but it stayed down. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to try another bite. “You must forgive me,” he said sadly, “I’m certain this food is very good, as was last night’s meal, but my stomach isn’t very pleased with me at the moment. Would you be terribly offended if I gave this to someone else? I think it would be best if I didn’t over do it.” He leaned back in bed, wiping his forehead off. He clenched his hands in the sheets to hide the sudden shaking that overcame him. The need for lyrium was great that morning and it killed him to think of that crutch. 

“You don’t have to eat it. It’s fine,” she said quickly and got up to clear the plate away. She could see the sweat breaking out on his forehead, the way his breath quickened. She wished there was more she could do for him. Grabbing up the rag again, she dipped it in the cool water, then returned to the side of his bed, carefully swiping it across his forehead. He needed to think of something else besides the lyrium, something to distract his mind until the craving passed. “Ah, it’s just eggs and ham anyway,” she joked, wrinkling her nose. “If I really wanted to tempt you into eating something, I should’a made you pancakes.” She doubted that she was helping matters at all, but she was trying.

Cullen wanted to protest, that she didn’t have to waste her time taking care of a recovering lyrium addict, but he couldn’t stop the soft groan as she washed his face off and he turned into the cool cloth as she passed it over his fevered skin again. He looked at her, confused. “You have cake for breakfast?” He couldn’t stop the smile that tugged at the corner of his lips, “My sister Mia would scold me for even thinking about such a thing. Cake for breakfast. I am certain with you cooking, it would be excellent though.” He managed a small laugh before he winced at the lance of pain in his midsection. “It sounds like something I would enjoy. I never did like conforming to the normality of society.”

A smile crossed her lips at that. “Well when you’re feeling better, I’ll make you cake for breakfast,” she said. “And I promise not to tell Mia.” She set the rag aside and reached out to push back a few strands of his hair from his forehead. Gods, she could sit there and run her fingers through his hair all day long if he’d let her. “You should try to rest now. Come on, lay down. I can stay for a little while longer, and then I can come back to check on you after I help cook lunch,” she said, moving to grab the blanket so she could cover him up. She met his eyes again. “Don’t argue with me, or I’ll go get Cassandra.”

Cullen raised an eyebrow at her before he shook his head and pushed himself to lay down, sighing out as he turned his head into the pillow and looked up at her as she tucked him in. “You sort of remind me of her. Mia I mean. She would threaten me too.” He laughed before he bit his lip as another wave of pain washed over him. “Forgive me,” he muttered as he closed his eyes, “I know you must have better things to do. Carry on with your work. I promise not to go falling down the ladder.” Though, he wondered if he could bribe Cassandra to bring up some reports he could look over. He still had so much to do. Though, his bed was so comfortable and with the tea lulling him to sleep, he didn’t feel like protesting very much.

She pulled the blanket over his shoulder and smoothed it down, then sat on the edge of the bed again. “It can wait,” she said. “As long as Dorian gets his lunch on time, that’s all that he cares about.” She managed a small laugh, but went quiet as she saw him blink slowly, looking as if he were about to fall asleep again. She reached out and carefully ran her fingers through his hair over and over. That always seemed to put her sister to sleep when they were younger. Hell, it would still work sometimes. “Go to sleep, Cullen. And I’ll come check on you again as soon as I can.”

He tried to say something intelligent, but the way her fingers combed through his hair. The gentle way her fingers brushed against his scalp soothed him in a way he couldn’t remember and he closed his eyes, murmuring his thanks as he let sleep claim him.


	6. Chapter 6

Lindsey spent the rest of her day going back and forth between the kitchen and Cullen’s room, checking on him as often as she was able. He slept most of the day, only waking once when she prodded him to drink another cup of the elfroot tea. She was grateful that Cassandra managed to handle the soldiers’ training for the day, telling them Cullen had important matters to attend to and that he was to be left undisturbed for the rest of the day. 

Going back and forth proved to be more tiresome than Lindsey had anticipated. Up the stairs from the kitchen, then up the ladder in Cullen’s office, then back down again. Over and over. How in the hell the Inquisitor managed to  run  all over that place was beyond her. Well, at least in the game the Inquisitor had always ran. Perhaps here, in real life, he took a much more reasonable pace. But even then, it was a bit much. 

It was finally late evening, after she and Jennifer had served dinner, that she finally gave herself a moment to sit down. She went up to Cullen’s room again to find him still sleeping, though his bed looked like he had tossed and turned quite a bit while she was away. With a sigh, she straightened the blankets over him, then sank to the floorboard next to the bed. She knew he needed to rest, but part of her wished he would wake up and be himself again. The game had never shown his suffering to be this bad. And she understood why. 

She felt her own eyes growing heavy and she folded her arms on the edge of the bed and laid her head on them. At least if he woke up and needed something, she would be right there. She didn’t mean to fall asleep, only to rest for a few minutes, but she was sound asleep before she knew what had happened.

Sleeping never came easily to Cullen and without lyrium to quiet his mind, his dreams were always the nightmares he had obtained over the years. The worst coming from the Circle in Ferelden where he had been captured and tortured. He jerked, recoiling from himself as he went through it again, the magic pressing down on him from all sides. The voices that hissed at him to yield, to just give in, to accept what was going to happen to him, the magic that was going to violate his body and corrupt his mind. “NO! LEAVE ME!” he shouted, sitting up straight in bed, his eyes wide. He was panting as he sat there, staring at the wall and he came back to himself. “Maker, take these nightmares,” he muttered and rubbed his face. He stopped when he saw the woman resting at his bedside and his heart warmed. Had she been watching over him this whole time?  A part of him felt that he should be embarrassed that she had seen him in such a state, but he didn’t.  Truth be told, he couldn’t remember a time when a woman had actually stayed by his side through such things. Though, he hadn’t actively been seeking out any women. He could see it in their eyes that they were wary of him.  

Lindsey sleepily blinked her eyes awake at the sound of his shout, and she moved to rest her chin on her folded arms, looking up at him. She felt butterflies in her stomach when she saw the way he looked at her. “Hey,” she said softly without moving from her spot on the floor. He looked like he felt a little better at least. A yawn split her lips and she shook her head, waking herself up a bit. “Excuse me,” she apologized, “it’s been a long day.” She was still tired and she laid the side of her face on her arms, giving him a sleepy smile. “How are you feeling? Do you want more tea? Or I can run to the kitchen to get you something to eat if you’re hungry.”

He blushed when she caught him staring at her and he coughed, offering her a smile as he reached behind his head and rubbed at his neck. “Sorry about that,” he laughed, “I hate to say it, but you look as though you have been running around all day long. The Maker can take the damned tea, I would rather try something more substantial. Though, I wouldn’t feel right asking you after you have taken care of me all day long. You had to have had other things more important to do than to take care of a… me.” 

She giggled. “To be fair, you were a pretty easy patient,” she teased and gave him a wink. She forced herself to get to her feet, groaning slightly at how stiff her legs felt after sleeping sitting up on the wood floor. She stepped closer to him and reached out, pressing the back of her fingers to his forehead, then his cheek, and smiled. “You don’t feel as hot as you did earlier. I can run grab you something to eat real quick if you feel like eating. I don’t mind. Or… you know, I can just leave you be. I… I don’t mean to hover,” she said, pulling her hand back and blushing again. 

Cullen was torn. “Well, while I wouldn’t feel right asking you to run and get us something to eat, I suppose if you did, I could find some way to make it up to you,” he said with a smile. He groaned after he thought on it some more. “And I suppose bring me some more of that accursed tea. I will have to find some way to make it easier for you to bring meals up to me if I am bedridden. I suppose I could get up and come downstairs.”

She smiled at that. If he felt like getting out of bed, that was a good sign. And not just because he was pushing himself to work harder. “If you think you can manage it. Just don’t fall off that ladder,” she teased. “I’m not sure I can catch you. Then we’ll both be in trouble.” She offered him her hand to help him out of the bed. “I’m sure there’s still something in the kitchen that hopefully won’t upset your stomach. C’mon, commander.”

Cullen chuckled and accepted her hand, letting her pull him from the bed. He blinked down, realizing he was still in a simple shirt and trousers. “I have to admit, I feel rather naked without my armor, but I don’t think I have the strength to put it on and climb down the ladder,” he admitted, “Here, let me go down first.” He only slightly wavered on his feet. He made sure he held onto the ladder tightly before he carefully started going down. He looked up, catching Lindsey’s face as he traveled. “I’m regretting my childish dreams now.”

She couldn’t stop the shiver that raced down her spine as he mentioned the word “naked” but now was not the time to be hitting on him. She watched as he finally reached the bottom of the ladder before she climbed down after him, then made sure he was seated at his desk. He looked a little tired again, but nothing alarming. “I’ll be right back,” she promised and hurried off, thinking of throwing together a simple meal of chicken sandwiches. That might set well on his stomach. 

She returned a short while later, two plates balanced in her hands, and frowned as she saw a scout there, trying to pile reports on Cullen’s desk. She narrowed her eyes and strode over to the desk, setting the plates down firmly in place of the reports and turned to the scout. “OUT,” she ordered, pointing her finger at the door, the other on her hip. “You had specific instructions NOT to bother him today. Now GET!” She grabbed the scout by the shoulder and all but hauled him to the door, slamming it behind him as he protested the whole way. “Jeezus tits,” she cursed, shaking her head, and turned to face Cullen. “They just won’t leave you alone, will they?” She crossed the room shaking her head and scooped up the papers. “Let’s see what was so important,” she said, then raised her eyebrow as she began to read over them.

Cullen leaned against his desk, watching as she opened his letters and began reading them. He rubbed at his temples a moment, trying to clear his head of the scout’s horrible, grating voice. “I swear, I come down for five minutes and I get swamped by who knows what.” He sniffed at the magnificent smells coming from the plates she had brought them. He could hear her grunt of disapproval. “Are they that bad, milady?”

“I guess it depends,” she said as she thumbed through them. “It seems you’re rather popular. These are all expressing interest in whether or not you are married. And if not, would you be interested in a companion for the ball at the Winter Palace. There’s five different women from Val Royeaux who would  _ love  _ to go with you,” she said, a smirk crossing her lips as she waved the letters at him. “And two men.” She waggled her eyebrows teasingly at him, though she couldn’t help the spike of jealousy that shot through her.

The horrified look on Cullen’s face only grew and he had a growing suspicion that if those letters would see the light of day, he would be done for. “Quick, Lindsey. Throw them into the fire! Hurry!” he hissed and moved out of the way of the fireplace, “I refuse to be played as bait. These Orlesians can just go jump off a bridge into dragon country for all I care,” he said as he took them from Lindsey and burned them, cheering a little when they all went up in smoke. He breathed in deeply and leaned back. “Much better. I swear politics give me a worse headache than the lyrium withdrawals.”

A big grin split her face as the papers curled and turned to ash. “We never received them,” she stated with finality and brushed her hands off as she turned to his desk again and grabbed up the sandwich she’d made for herself. She chewed slowly, thinking over how many times she’d played through the Winter Palace, wondering what she should say to him about it, if anything at all. She knew he wasn’t thrilled about the idea as a whole at all. “So no date for the ball?” she teased. “You know, I remember playing it in the game. You had quite the following of admirers. They kept asking you to dance and you refused.” She paused and covered her mouth as she laughed, remembering how many times her Inquisitor had wandered by, just to hear them harassing the commander. “I think my favorite was the one that grabbed your ass when you weren’t looking.”

Cullen shuddered in his seat and picked up the sandwich, looking to over for a moment before he took  large bite. It was unlike anything he had ever had before. The chicken was moist yet crunchy on the outside. So good. He swallowed and then his mind caught up with her words. “Wait. What? You mean if I go to the Winter Palace without a date, I get molested?” He was horrified. “Andraste preserve me. There has to be something I can do. Maybe I could feign illness.”

She snorted in amusement at that. “You really think Josephine will fall for that? She’d drag you along anyway and you know it,” she said. Poor Cullen, he just couldn’t catch a break. “And forget calibrating trebuchets. You’ve used that excuse too many times. They’re starting to catch on. Just, you know, stand with your back against the wall or something all night long,” she suggested with a shrug. She wondered if she and Jennifer would be allowed to go to the ball, but realized they probably wouldn’t. That was just for the inner circle, wasn’t it? “You could always bribe one of the others into acting like a date for the evening. That might keep the nobles away. Though I’m not sure who you could ask. Pretty sure Cass is spoken for. And I doubt you’d want Sera to do it.”

Cullen’s eyes went wide at the suggestion and he let his gaze settle on her, feeling his face heat up. “You. You could be my date!” He coughed and rubbed at the back of his neck, “I mean, if that would be acceptable to you, of course. Considering the way you handled that scout, I know you would do more than fine to chase away any of those overstuffed peacocks trying to get close enough to,” he shuddered, “touch my rear.” 

Lindsey felt her heart skip and she nearly dropped her sandwich. “What?” she asked, not expecting that at all. She felt her own face go hot and she tried not to smile too much at the invitation. She licked her lips carefully, thinking about it for only a second. “Are you serious? Cause, yeah, I’d love to,” she said, hoping she didn’t sound too eager. “I’ll be your date for the ball. Don’t worry, I’ll protect you,” she teased, shooting him a playful wink. “Defend your honor. I won’t let them screw with you.” A smirk touched her lips. “I want something in return, though.”

Cullen sat back in his chair and he tilted his head at her. “Dare I ask what the price is going to cost me?” He thought over the alternative and he shuddered again. It could not be worse than becoming eye candy for the Inquisition at the Winter Palace. “You have buy to ask, Lady Lindsey,” he committed.

“Can  _ I  _ touch your butt?” she asked, then threw her head back with a laugh at the look on his face. She fanned her face with her hand, still giggling. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t help myself,” she snickered. “I’m just teasing. I’d love to go with you. No butt-grabs required.”

Cullen couldn’t stop the laughter that she coaxed out of him and he smiled at her and tilted his head, “My dear Lady Lindsey, would you do me the great honor of attending the Winter Palace as my date?” He tried to sound professional and not corny, but he ending up chuckling all the same.

Her heart fluttered all over again and she nodded. “Yes,” she answered, a little breathlessly. Oh, she couldn’t wait to tell her sister about this. She finished off her sandwich and dusted the crumbs from her fingers before she ran a hand over her face, feeling the heat there. She gave a nervous giggle. “Sorry, I might be a little more excited about this than I should be. I think the ball sounds like fun.” Minus all the fighting and shit, she mentally added. She cleared her throat as he finished off his sandwich as well. “Would you like to go back to bed? Get some more rest and hopefully tomorrow will be better for you.”

Cullen chuckled at her and stood up. “Yes, I think that would be for the best. Thank you for all of your efforts for me today. I am certainly in your debt, milady,” he said giving her a slight bow, catching himself on his desk. “You have a good night. I think I will retire after I have made certain that these cursed doors are locked. If I am disturbed tonight, it may very well undo all of the hard work we put in today,” he said as he walked her to the door.

She was concerned about him getting back up to his bed, but she didn’t want to insult him either. “Alright. And I’ll see about bringing you some breakfast in the morning. Cake, perhaps?” she suggested. She gave him a smile as he opened the door for her. “Goodnight, Cullen.”

He smiled at her and lifted her hand up before he bowed over it. He glanced up at her eyes and gave her a nod before pressing a gentle kiss to her knuckles. “Goodnight, milady. My thanks again.”

She smiled, her heart fluttering again, then turned to head back to clean up the kitchen before retiring for the night, muttering to herself, “Never washing this hand again.”


	7. Chapter 7

Bull’s fingers worked over the knots, checking to be sure they were secure, but not too tight. A smirk touched his lips, satisfied that the ropes would hold, then let his hand trail along Dorian’s arm to his chest, admiring the tanned skin. He paused and teased at a nipple, his length giving a slight twitch as Dorian hissed and tried to writhe on the bed. “Don’t pretend you don’t like it,” he said and dipped his head, capturing the hardened bud in his mouth, letting his tongue trace lazy circles around the edge. He watched his kadan with a lustful look in his eye, then scraped his teeth over the sensitive flesh. 

Dorian arched against the bedsheets, biting his lips until they bruised. “I cannot believe that you talked me into this, Amatus.” He gave a jump as Bull tugged gently on one of the ropes tied securely around the base of his cock. The blindfold on his eyes hiding the truth from him and he wondered what would happen should Bull take it off. Would he be repulsed? Or would be be turned on. He had never before had an audience for this. It was one of the ultimate taboos he had been trying to break himself from. “I’d feel better if it were another man watching us,” he hissed.

Jennifer smiled and scooted her chair closer to the bed, stopping as Bull looked at her and shook his head. No further then. This was certainly close enough already. Enough to see the sweat beading on both of their skins. The way Dorian’s flesh strained against the beautiful red ropes. The way the Iron Bull took great care in making certain his Kadan was well cared for before he even thought about his own desires. “You boys know how to give a woman a show. And don’t worry Dorian. This is good for you as well. It’s stepping out of your comfort zone.”

Bull gave her another warning glance before he returned his attention to Dorian. He rather liked the idea of being watched, it turned him on all the more as he slowly kissed his way down Dorian’s abs, taking care to trace the lines there with his tongue. The red ropes looked amazing against the golden skin and he was rather proud of the intricate way it crisscrossed most of Dorian’s body. He nibbled at the mage’s hip and let his fingers brush feather-light up the length of the hard cock. The heat of it made him shiver and he smirked again as he played with the tip, smearing around a bead of precum that leaked out.

Dorian gave out a strangled cry as Bull barely skimmed past his aching length. “You horrible lummox! Stop being such a tease and touch me!” he pleaded and cried. He swallowed hard. He could feel the two sets of eyes watching him so intently and it only made his blush deepen further. His cock throbbed at the idea of being on display for their pleasure. Even if one of them was a woman. 

Bull swallowed the moan in his throat; he loved to listen to Dorian beg. It was good for him, took him down a peg or two. “Touch you?” he taunted as he let his fingers play over Dorian’s sac, the skin stretched tight by the rope that bound it as well. He could see the goosebumps and sweat that covered Dorian’s skin, the way his hips jerked at the too-light touch. “But I enjoy this so much, Kadan,” he chuckled, gently squeezing the orbs in his big hand.

Jennifer licked her lips, swallowing hard as she watched Bull’s fingers skim over Dorian’s body, making a few adjustments here and there to the ropes. She watched as he slid one knot over his chest until it rested above a taught nipple and then he turned to do the same to the other. She swallowed thickly and slid a hand down her pants, sliding her fingers along the wet seam of her lips, letting out a moan as she touched herself. 

Dorian cried out as the knots sat directly above his hardened flesh and he keened. His length throbbed and he could feel himself leaking out onto the ropes Bull had placed. “Please, please let me come, Amatus! I want her to see me come.”

“Already?” Bull asked with a laugh. “But we’re just getting started!” He could see the frustration in Dorian’s features, the way his chest fell heavily with each rapid breath. He chuckled again and slid down the bed between Dorian’s legs, which were spread wide. “Since you asked nicely,” he said, trailing two fingers between Dorian’s cheeks, finding the entrance to his body. He worked his fingers into his lover gently, watching intently as Dorian’s cock gave a jerk, and he leaned forward to lick up the trail that dripped from the tip. “Come for me, Kadan,” he purred as he crooked his fingers against the bundle of nerves in Dorian’s body and sucked at the base of his length, just above the tightly bound rope.

Jennifer watched as Dorian threw his head back and she lifted her head, craning her neck so that she could see better. She shivered as she saw Bull’s thick fingers entering into Dorian’s body. She swallowed harshly, amazed that something so small could take in those large digits. “Yeah, Dorian, you take those so well,” she purred, watching as Dorian’s length gave a throb and at Bull’s growl, the mage jerked and the most wonderful sound escaped from his lips as he came. Thick white stripes of cum were forced from his body and they painted his chest.

Bull gave a longing moan as he watched the cum splurt from his lover’s cock, working his fingers over Dorian’s prostate, taking care to milk as much cum from him as he could. When the mage fell back against the bed with a gasp, he moved quickly, licking up the trails across the beautiful skin, moaning again. His own cock was hard and throbbing, demanding attention. “Need a moment, Kadan?” he asked softly, his lips brushing over the skin there, “Or can we continue?”

Dorian gasped out, his hips thrusting upwards as Bull licked trails up over his skin. “Please! It’s never enough! Please, take me,” he panted and clenched his toes into the bedspread, “I want…” He hesitated and swallowed. He couldn’t voice what he wanted, not in front of her. Oh but the way Bull teased him, “Please. I want you inside me. Show her. Show her how much of you I can take. That I’m the only one who can!”

Bull shivered, a smile curling the corner of his mouth and he got to his knees, admiring his lover’s body for a moment. Dorian’s cock was still hard, even after coming so much. He grasped his own length, stroking it for a moment, and he looked over at Jennifer, letting her get a good long look at him. The smile on his lips grew when he saw the look in her eyes. He grabbed the backs of Dorian’s knees, lifting the mage’s legs and spreading them wide, licking his own lips as he nudged the head of his cock into Dorian’s ass. “No one can take me like you can, Kadan,” he rumbled as he began to slowly sink into the impossibly tight heat of his lover’s body.

Jennifer leaned forward, drinking in the way Dorian hissed and then sank into a moan as Bull plundered his body. She bit her lip hard as she watched Bull go hip deep within his love. She gave a groan as she saw the way Dorian’s lower belly expanding from the sheer girth of bull’s length pushing up against Dorian’s walls. “Yeah, take all of that,” she murmured, watching the way Dorian’s hole stretched around Bull’s length completely. Sera had it right, how did Dorian walk the next morning after that? She leaned back and groaned, “Mmm, I really need to get laid.”

“One would assume so, if you are dreaming of such things.” Solas chuckled as Jennifer gave a jump. He hadn’t meant to intrude on such an intimate dream, and perhaps he shouldn’t have said anything to her, but she had unsettled him so with her knowledge of him, it only seemed fair. He approached her, pointedly not looking at the two men in the bed. While he didn’t mind the relationship between the mage and the Qunari, he did not need that image burned into his mind. “You are aware that those are desire demons, yes?”

Jennifer gasped and she turned to Solas, her eyes wide and the two on the bed melted away to show their true forms. She sighed and gave them a passing wave before she looked at the Dread Wolf. “Well, I had my suspicions, since Dorian would never ever let me watch their little nightly activities, but it was nice to at least imagine it going on,” she said as she relaxed back in her chair, “You spying on me?”

“Perhaps,” he said, a smile playing across his lips as his hands went behind his back. “To be honest, I had hoped to catch a glimpse of your world, to see where you came from. It is hard for me to picture many of the things Master Tethras has been sharing about your world. It sounds fascinating.” He glanced at the demons, then inclined his head at Jennifer. “Walk with me.” He waited for her to rise from her chair before he led her away from them. “I also wondered if you would be conscious of being here in the Fade, of my presence in your dream. I will admit I am pleasantly surprised to discover that you are. Tell me, are you often aware of your dreams? Are they always this vivid?”

She chuckled. “Sometimes, but it’s very rare that I realize that I’m in a dream. Most of my dreams are this clear though. Flying dreams are the best. This whole… walking around like we are actually in a place instead of our own heads, this is kind of weird. It’s a good weird though, so,” She trailed off and glanced behind them, but the Fade had changed already and Bull and Dorian, or the demons that looked like them were no longer visible. “I’m surprised you came to find me. I thought you didn’t much fancy visiting other people within their own dreams. Not that I’m complaining,” she said with a smirk and looked him up and down, “I’d like to spend more time with you before you break my heart and run away again. I’ll warn you now, if you do that, Abelas is my plan B.” 

He paused and turned to her, his expression stoic, save for one slightly cocked eyebrow. “You mentioned before that I broke your heart,” he said, his tone even, despite the fact he was completely confused. “I have done no such thing.” He pressed his lips thin, the realization coming to him. “Ah. You must be speaking of the game, how it gives you insight into our lives. Those… characters you met in the game. They may be reflections of us, but they are not  _ us.  _ How could I break your heart? We do not even know each other.”

Jennifer pressed her lips together and looked up at Solas as they walked along to no place in particular. “Imagine if I were the Inquisitor.  A female, Dalish elf who challenged everything you knew about the elves of today’s world. The elves that you have shaped. That I gave thought to every action, lived for your stories about the Fade and drank up any knowledge that you would let me have. You met me in a dream, told me of the anchor and how you sat beside me as I slept.” She gave a sad smile and mimicked what he did once they exited Haven’s chantry, “I told myself,” and she stepped forward, gesturing grandly towards the sky, “One more attempt to seal the rifts.” She looked back at him, “I tried and failed. I resigned myself to fleeing and then.” She grinned at the look on his face, “You sealed it with a gesture. And right then, I felt the whole world change.”   

Jennifer felt silly as she said that, rubbing the top of her head. “Well, more or less. We kissed then. You had to think about it. You couldn’t believe there was a Dalish elf that was so like you. That was so real to you. Because if there was one, there might be more who were real and you don’t want to think for any moment that you might be murdering more elves that might be more like you than you are willing to admit.” 

He frowned then, remembering when he had visited the Inquisitor in a dream at Haven, when he had said those exact words, save for the part about the world changing. He wasn’t sure how to feel about all of that, about someone who could change the way he looked at the world as it was now. He shook his head sadly. “If only that were true,” he said solemnly as they walked. “This world is so changed because of my actions. The people here…” He trailed off, nearly wincing. “It is my fault that so much has been taken from the elves. They have forgotten everything. It pains me to see it. If only there were someone who could show me what you speak of. But there is not.” He shook his head again, staring hard at his feet as they walked.

“I think if someone were going to show you that, it would take precious time to do so. The world is full of possibilities, Solas. One path does not mean there aren’t others to be explored. And let’s not forget the discovery of other worlds. There is so much to think on, to explore. You know? Don’t give up on one aspect just because you think it won’t work out.”  

He pressed his lips to a hard line. He both loved and hated how she made him rethink his plans, how her mere presence changed so much of what he thought he knew. “It raises so many questions,” he said softly, looking ahead again, his eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “Questions I did not even think to ask. How many other worlds might there be? Are they connected in some way? Would the destruction of one affect the others?” He paled a bit at that question the second he voiced it aloud. Could he live with himself if other worlds fell because of his plans? It was something he would have to consider carefully. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, a smirk touching his lips. “I’m starting to believe that you rather enjoy unsettling me,” he accused, though his tone was light.

Jennifer smiled and shrugged. “I’m an unsettling person from a strange world. It’s not that hard to unsettle others. I did it a lot back home, both my sister and I. Unintentionally, of course, but people took a look at what they did and decided it wasn’t natural or it went against what their religion believed was right. It hurt, a lot. Both physically and mentally to live among them. We tried, but some days it was hard.” She looked over at Solas and gave him a sad smile. “I can stop if you like. I just, I don’t know. I feel like I know you, but then you don’t know me. I should just leave well enough alone. I mean, if I behaved this way back home, they’d lock me up and throw away the key. Really. You don’t have to be nice to me if you don’t want to. I understand. Plus, it feels a little good to be true. I know if I were home and on the game forums, I would be called a Mary Sue.”

“If you know me as well as you claim, you should know that I would not seek your company if I did not enjoy it,” he said. Hearing her speak about how she was treated back in her own world, how her own people turned against her, made an ache settle in his chest. It startled him to feel it, to feel such an emotion for a human, and once again he felt that protectiveness over her well up inside him. “Would you prefer if I were mean to you?” he teased. He wasn’t sure what a Mary-Sue was, nor did he much care. The only opinion about her that mattered to him was his own. “Forget the people of your world, Jennifer,” he said with a dismissive jerk of his head. “They can harm you no longer now that you’re here.”

She smiled at that. It was true, she didn’t have to care what the others said any more. “It’s hard to forget where you came from, what you used to call home,” she said and took a deep breath. “No I wouldn’t prefer you to be mean to me. I just want you to be honest. That’s all,” she said. That sounded good to her, “I know I got to know everyone through the game, but now I want to get to know you all face to face. If that makes sense. I want to earn it.”

“That sounds much better,” he answered. “There is a difference between knowing everything about a person, and actually knowing them.” He stopped walking and turned to really look at her, finding that he would like to get to know her better as well. He nearly snorted at himself. He probably should have done that before he made an oath to protect her, but he had been so desperate to protect his secret that he hadn’t given it much thought. He studied her for a moment, the passion in her dark eyes, the way she didn’t seem frightened of him even though she knew who he was and what he had done. There was a longing in his chest to share more, to have at least one person who he could be honest with, share with. “I would like to know you better as well,” he said in a low voice.

She shivered at the tone of his voice and gave him a scolding look. “See, now, you can’t go and do that, say things like that in that low, wonderful voice of yours,” she said as she bumped his elbow. “Next I’ll get a desire demon that is a naked version of you,” she said, giving him a wink, “I might demand a show any way. You naked was one of the things we never get to see because your romance was a last minute decision by the developers. A shame really, because it’s so beautifully done. So sad.”

He couldn’t help but to laugh at that. “You may be disappointed, but I am certainly grateful that I am not on display for thousands of strangers,” he chuckled. Though he had to admit, it was rather flattering. He felt the slightest touch of a blush burn the tips of his ears. And though he knew he shouldn’t tease her so, he found that the urge to do so was too strong to resist. “And what would I get in return for this ‘show?’” he asked, deliberately speaking in a slightly lower tone, just to see if he could get a rise out of her.

Jennifer raised an eyebrow at him, stopping mid step to look at him. She gave him a long look up and down, considering him for a moment. No, she wasn’t going to be one of those women. He was a very hard person to read and the look he was giving her had her lips curling up despite her better judgement, even though the blush was making her face burn something terrible. “A happy ending,” she teased in her best impression of a sultry voice as she let her eyes dip lower to his crotch, which was sadly covered up by his tunic. She looked up at him and waggled her eyebrows suggestively before she burst out laughing, “I swear, I have no idea what has gotten into me. I think world jumping may have made me too forward. Too bold.”

He laughed richly at her answer. “I do not think you are too bold,” he said, a smile still on his lips. “Far too many people waste their time with subtly, just hoping that others will catch on to what they desire. Fear of rejection, of disappointment stops them. Whether passing between the worlds has changed you or not, hold on to that boldness. I rather admire that about you.” In a bold move of his own, he reached out and tucked a long strand of her dark hair behind her ear, letting his fingertips trail down the side of her neck. “This world could use more people like you.”

Jennifer’s eyes widened a fraction and she felt her breath quicken. Oh what the hell, it was the Fade wasn’t it? Part of a dream? If they decided it was a mistake later, it could easily be brushed off as something whimsical. She reached up, catching his wrist in her hand. It was a thin wrist, but there was power behind it. A strength she knew she had no hope of matching and she let a her lip curl up in a smile. She let her other hand reach out and curl behind his neck, pulling him forward so she could press a hungry kiss to his lips. Oh. Oh oh oh. It was so much better than she imagined. His lips were firm, yet soft and she snuck her tongue out and licked at the seam. 

Solas’ eyes went wide as she kissed him so suddenly. It was wrong, he shouldn’t, and yet… His eyes fell closed as he tilted his head slightly and parted his lips, letting her tongue slide into his mouth. He kissed her back forcefully, his hands sliding around her waist to pull her tighter against him. A dizzy pleasure settled into his brain as he explored her mouth, his hand sliding up into her hair to hold her there. The protective possessiveness he’d felt over her earlier only seemed to grow the longer he kissed her, the wolf in him purring at the connection with her. He pulled back, breaking the kiss, both of them breathless. He shouldn’t be doing this. He knew that. And it was as if he couldn’t control himself. “Jennifer,” he breathed, staring at how red her lips were from the kiss, and leaned in again to claim them once more.

Oh the wolf knew how to kiss, that was sure. It was passionate and it was frantic, as if he hadn’t been able to allow himself this small pleasure in a long time. Which probably wasn’t far from the truth, a few thousand years. Shit, he probably did need to get laid. More than herself at least. She felt butterflies swirl around in her stomach, his kiss was just as passionate as it looked from all the times she had played through, but it could never even begin to hold a candle as to how it felt. She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him close as he plundered her mouth, a moan slipping out past her lips as one of his legs slipped between her own. A decadent pleasure swirled through her as she felt his hardness rubbing against her hip and she shuddered against him. 

It was going too far. He knew that, even as he nudged his leg between hers, feeling the heat of her body against the front of his thigh. A low growl rumbled in his throat, every fiber of his being awake to her touch, the feel of her body against his. It had been so long since he had had this, someone who accepted him for who he was. And he had put it so far out of his mind for so long, he hadn’t realized how much he craved it. He pressed himself harder against her, a moan escaping him as his hard length throbbed, trapped between them. “We shouldn’t,” he said as he suddenly broke the kiss, his lips hot and bruised from their kiss. He was breathless as he pulled back from her, a confused mixture of emotions and thoughts swirling through him so hard and fast it made him dizzy. “I’m sorry,” he breathed, offering her an apologetic look. “This… I shouldn’t have.” He wanted to kick himself even as he said it.

“Oh no you don’t. That’s the same bullshit you said to me in the game,” Jennifer all but growled and reached between them, cupping his hard length. Her heart was pounding and her pulse was singing in her veins. She couldn’t remember a time when she had wanted something more than this. She ached for him and the moment seemed taboo, but wonderful all at once. She stepped closer to him, letting her fingers trace the outline of the hard flesh pressing against his breeches, the sheer heat of him made her mouth water. 

He bit his lip, his hips jerking, thrusting against her hand. He tightened his arms around her, breathing heavily as she touched him, and leaned his forehead against hers. Oh those fingers were talented, even through the fabric of his pants, and his cock twitched, demanding more from her. He reached down and wrapped his fingers around her wrist, gently but firmly stopping her. “Not here,” he breathed huskily. If this were going to happen, he wanted it to be real. More real than in her dreams, anyway. He opened his eyes, his gaze burning into hers. “If this is what you want…” He paused and swallowed hard, nerves settling into his stomach in anticipation. “Come find me when you… wake up.”


	8. Chapter 8

Jennifer gasped as she woke up. “Oh that man,” she growled as she struggled with the blankets around her and kicked them off before she rolled out of bed. She bit her lip and squeezed her legs together, trying to alleviate the ache that was there. “Stupid wolf, stupid wake up call in dreams,” she muttered as she grabbed a blanket off the bed and wrapped it around her. She couldn’t be bothered to dress into something more appropriate. Part of her wondered if she would wander into his rotunda and look foolish when he wasn’t there, but she couldn’t bring herself to care as she exited her room and hurried off towards the Great Hall, glancing around her as she quickly walked through the castle. She spotted the line of light that was coming from under the closed door that led to the rotunda and her heart just about jumped out of her chest and she quickly knocked before she pushed the door open and peered inside. 

Solas lay on the couch in the rotunda, staring up at the ceiling high above him, one arm draped across his midsection, the other behind his head, wondering what in the world he was doing. Would she truly come to him? He was still breathless, his body hard and aching. He gave a slight jump when he heard a knock and he looked over at her as she entered. A smile split his lips to see her like that, her hair a wild mess, the blanket wrapped around her, one side of it falling down to reveal her shoulder. He reached out a hand, inviting her over. “I hoped you would come to me,” he said in a low voice, taking her hand and pulling her down on top of him. He cupped her cheek, sliding his fingers up into her hair to push it back from her face. “You are so beautiful,” he breathed before he kissed her again.

Her heart lurched as he said that, remembering the scene from Crestwood where he had said it to the Inquisitor. Ah, fuck it. She didn’t care at the moment. The only thing that mattered was that he was beneath her, his lips were insistent upon her own and his body was warm, so inviting. She sighed out against him and settled her hips over him, groaning out against him as his hardness pressed up against her just right. She cupped his face in her hands as she kissed him back just as desperately as he kissed her. Her fingers traced upwards, feeling out his long ears as she rocked against him. She was so dizzy from the pleasure that she thought she would pass out for sure.

He shivered as she touched the sensitive tips of his ears and he lifted his hips against her, feeling the heat of her body against him. He slid his hands beneath the blanket, letting his fingers play over her soft skin. She was so real, so wonderful in his arms. And though part of him knew he shouldn’t, he couldn’t bring himself to stop. He dipped his head to kiss at her neck, tasting her skin as his hands continued to explore her body. He moaned against her neck as he cupped her breast, his thumb flicking slowly over her nipple. His cock was so hard it hurt and he bucked up against her again, desperately seeking the friction his body demanded. 

She couldn’t stop herself from whimpering as he teased her body. She tilted her neck to allow him more access to her neck as she leaned down to nip along his jaw. Her hands roamed over him, skimming along the fabric of his tunic. Jennifer smiled against his neck as she rocked against him, her lips going to his ear and she said in quiet voice, “Solas, you are wearing far too many clothes.” She moaned before she let her hands skim up over the taut muscles of his chest. “Mhn.  Don’t make me wait much longer,” she breathed.

He nodded and pushed her to sit up, sliding out from under her to disrobe. His movements were too quick, too jerky, but he couldn’t care less. The hunger he could see in her eyes as he revealed his body to her only fueled his own desire. He moved to lay over her, skin against skin, and he dipped his head to take her breast into his mouth, teasing his tongue over her nipple. His cock twitched, aching to be buried in her body, to join with her until they were both left breathless and sated. His free hand skimmed down her stomach, teasing the wet line between her legs. He shivered at the heat as his long fingers pressed into her, his eyes rolling at how tight she felt. 

Jennifer bit her lips so hard she tasted blood as his mouth sealed around her nipple and his fingers pressed deeply into her. It was so perfect, but not nearly enough. Those long, talented fingers knew where to press and she bucked up against him, trying to take more of him into her. She squeezed around him and reached out, cupping the back of his head, holding him to her. “Oh shit,” she breathed as she spread her legs wider for him. It was going to be over far too soon for her liking. And she wanted more. She wanted to lay there and watch him, let her eyes trace over his muscled form, to drink him in like a tall glass of water. “Gods, I want to taste you,” she moaned out, not caring who heard.

He shivered violently at that, sucking harder at her nipple as he let his thumb caress her clit, his fingers delving deeply into her. He felt his cock throb again, a bead of precum sliding down the length as he imagined it, the way her lips would look around his length, the feel of her hot mouth on him. He pinched her other nipple between his fingers as he teased the one in his mouth, curling his fingers within her body. “Come for me first,” he breathed, touching her the way he knew a woman should be touched. “Then you may, if you wish.”

She gave a strangled cry as his fingers pressed firmly against the sweet spot inside of her and it had her hips rising off of the couch before she was being pushed down against the piece of furniture again and she writhed against him as he continued to play her body like a finely tuned instrument. She gripped his shoulders so hard, she knew her nails had to have drawn blood and by the time she came, she was a hot mess in his arms as she rode his fingers through her orgasm. Her mouth was dry as she cried out and her vision went white from the pleasure. Her heart pounded and her blood sang through her ears as he continued to stroke her. How could she ever form another coherent thought ever again?

His pride swelled, knowing he brought her such pleasure, and he continued to touch her, trying to see if he could coax a second orgasm from her. His hand was drenched with her essence, he could smell her in the air, and it only made him want more. He moaned into the valley between her breasts as he felt her clench around his fingers again. He finally pulled back, the gleam in his eyes almost predatory as he looked over her body, the blush on her face that spread down her neck to her chest, the way she panted for air. He locked eyes with her as he raised his hand and sucked his fingers, a low moan in his throat as he tasted her.

Jennifer locked eyes with him, the pleasure singing through her as she watched him sit back and lick her essence from his fingers. That was hotter than it had any right being and she let her head fall back as she watched him with hooded eyes. The world had drowned out in the rush of her blood through her ears and slowly came back to her as she calmed down. She licked her lips and pushed herself up, catching his lips with her own, moaning as she tasted herself on his tongue. She pushed him until he was laying back on the couch and she crawled over him, kissing him leisurely now that her initial frantic lust had been sated. She sealed her lips on his neck, sucking a hickey to life before she trailed kisses down his chest, pausing to lick at a pert nipple before she sank lower. He smelled absolutely wonderful and she nuzzled at the dark curls around the base of his length. She looked up at him, catching his eye as she licked at the head of him.

Solas hissed through his teeth as her soft, warm tongue laved over him. He couldn’t remember ever being this hard, needing to come this badly. “Please,” he gasped, writhing on the couch as she leisurely, torturously teased him. With both arms over his head, he gripped the arm of the couch, looking down the length of his body to watch her. He couldn’t get over how strikingly beautiful she was. The spark in her eyes, the curve of her lips. He licked his lips and growled low in his throat as he tongue lapped up the bead of precum at the tip of his cock. “Jennifer, please,” he said more forcefully. He didn’t know if he could stand her teasing much longer.

She couldn’t help but smile against him as she held his gaze. She wanted this, wanted him. It was incredible to have a chance, to be with him like this. How many fantasized nights had she gone, thinking about a moment like this? Never before had she wanted anything so much than in that moment. He was salty with a hint of musk and delicious because she wanted him. She sighed against him and sank down over him, swallowing him down until her nose brushed against the springy curls at the base. She moaned around him, humming as he filled her throat. 

He gave a shout as her hot mouth consumed him. “Yes! Jennifer, yes!” he cried, uncaring how he sounded or who might overhear them in that moment. He was lost to the pleasure. He lifted his hips, wanting more. He threw his head back as she began to suck, her mouth hungrily pulling at his hard flesh. “More,” he demanded, his hand going to the back of her hair, his fingers tangling in the silky strands. His cock ached for release. “Just like that,” he breathed, his toes curling. His balls swelled, tingling as they drew up against his body. He needed to come. His eyes opened wide as she pulled a spectacularly talented move with her tongue and his cock jerked, a splurt of cum splashing from the tip. “Jennifer! I’m going to come,” he nearly whimpered and held her face tight to his body as he gave in, his length pumping into her mouth, spilling his seed down her throat.

She drank him down, thirsty for him. She moaned around him as the hard flesh in her mouth twitched and the heady scent of him became stronger as she caught his essence. Oh gods, he tasted good. She had done this before, a few men in the past before they disappointed her and ran off after someone else. Never before though, had it been this satisfying to bring a man to pleasure. Perhaps it was because it was Solas, someone she had wanted to give this to, fully and without restriction. She moaned again and swallowed him down before she licked him lean as he came down from his orgasm, gently nuzzling at the softening flesh while she listened to him pant above her. He looked just as glorious as she thought he would, a rosy blush that spread over his chest and up his neck to the tips of his ears. She smiled against him as she rubbed a hand on his hip.

Solas had to squeeze his eyes shut, he was so dizzy from pleasure and he reached down to catch her hand that rubbed at his hip, twisting their fingers together. Her hand in his was like an anchor, holding him to consciousness as he came back to himself. He finally looked down at her, a determined look crossing his features, and he grabbed her arms, pulling her up to lay over his chest again. He kissed her as he ran his hands down her back, cupping her rear as he pressed up against her. It wasn’t enough. He wanted more. He groaned as he began to harden again, rubbing his length against her. He reached between them and grasped himself, moaning as he stroked himself, then teased the head of his cock against her slit. “I want you,” he growled, moving to suck at her throat, breathing hard through his nose as he felt her warm heat against the tip of his cock.

Jennifer groaned and nodded against him, moving to sink down onto his length that was firming up again. His stamina was impressive. She gave out a long sigh as she settled over him, feeling his cock stretching her, filling her so exquisitely. “Mmm,” she sighed as she reached down, running her hands over his chest before she met his gaze and smiled warmly at him. “This is so much more wonderful than I could have ever dreamed,” she said quietly, honestly. 

His heart warmed at that and he cupped her face, a soft smile crossing his lips as his eyes met hers. “I’m glad to know I don’t disappoint,” he said softly as he lifted his hips slowly, pressing himself deeper into her before be pulled back and did it again. The urgency from before was gone and now he just wanted to enjoy it. To savor the sensations, to enjoy feeling wanted and cared for. It was such a strange thing to him now, in this world where his name was a curse, where his own people feared him. No, they were no longer his people. Not really. He pushed them from his mind. All that mattered was her and her acceptance of him. He kissed softly at her lips as he pulled her hips tightly against his own, shivering at how deep it allowed him to slip into her body.

She swallowed harshly against him, sighing out as he pressed her down, holding her onto him. She closed her eyes as she buried her face into his neck, breathing in his scent deeply. “Oh my gods,” she purred into his skin, “So good, Solas. It’s so good.” She rocked her hips against his, hissing out at the pleasure the simple action caused. “I want you on top. Make me feel you even long after you’ve left me.” 

“I will not leave you now,” he breathed in her ear. “I cannot.” He shifted them around on the couch until she was under him and he guided her legs to wrap around his slender waist. A long moan issued from his lips as he buried himself in her body, so tight and wet around his cock. He dipped his head to lick at her breast, tracing the curve up to the point of her nipple, sucking it gently as he rocked his hips between her thighs, setting a slow, steady pace.

Jennifer let her head fall back, looking down at Solas as he nibbled at her sensitive flesh. She smiled warmly at him as she studied everything she could. The long line of his neck, the curve of his back as he bent over her, the delicate sheen of sweat that settled over him. She moaned softly at him and reached up, sliding her hand over his head before she rested both hands on his shoulders, trailing her fingers up so she could rub at the soft skin behind his ears. Every slow, steady thrust of his hips seemed to touch her so deeply, it made her ache deeply. “You are so good, Solas. So perfect.”

Solas gave an involuntary jerk as she touched him, growling low in his throat at the pleasure that coursed through his body. He slowly shook his head, releasing the taut flesh from his mouth. “No. It is you who are perfection,” he breathed as he met her eyes again, pulling back a little farther before he sank into her again. He wanted to see her come undone again, to feel her come around his cock and know it was he who brought her such pleasure. He snapped his hips forward, driving his cock forcefully into her wet heat, and cried out as their skin slapped together. By the gods, that felt amazing.  She  felt amazing. He did it again and again, panting as he set a feverish pace, determined to pleasure her until she could stand it no longer.

She couldn’t hold it in and she screamed out her pleasure as he drove into her, relentlessly, steady, firm. Everything she could have ever thought was thrown out the window because thinking was too much in that moment. There was only him and their connection. She squeezed around him tightly, raking her fingers down his back in an attempt to channel the pleasure she was feeling from him. “Solas!” she cried out over and over. “Yes, yes, yes, right there. Harder! Please, harder!” she shouted leaning up and sealing her mouth around his neck in an attempt to quiet herself, lest she wake up all of Skyhold.

He clenched his eyes shut, trying to regain some control over himself. He barely believed it was possible for her to feel any tighter, and then she had to squeeze around him like that. The feel of her hot mouth on his neck spurred him on and he grabbed her legs, moving them to rest against his shoulders to give him unrestricted access to her body. His eyes rolled in his head, gasping at how impossibly deep the position allowed him to drive himself into her. Nothing had ever felt so amazing in all his life. He bit his lip to keep himself from shouting out loud as he pounded his cock into her willing body, moving his thumb to tease at her clit at the same time.

Jennifer squeezed her eyes shut a moment, only to wrench them open a moment later. She didn’t want to miss one second with him. The new position was so good and he had her moaning out his name as he bent her in half and rubbed at her. “Solas,” she breathed as she leaned up and caught his lips with her own, nibbling and suckling at his lips as best she could before she threw her head back in pleasure. “Shit, I’m so close! I’m so close. Please please please!” She keened curling around him as she came the next moment, rocking against him with wild abandon.

Solas clenched his teeth as her body became a vice upon him, a strangled roar of pleasure escaping him as her orgasm triggered his own. He drove forcefully into her, his cock swelling and pouring into her body over and over until he finally relaxed, barely able to hold himself up with his arms above her. He gently eased her legs down from his shoulders and moved to lay over her again, resting the side of his face between her breasts as he wrapped his arms around her waist. “Incredible,” he murmured, kissing her soft skin. 

Jennifer smiled lazily, letting her arms curl around Solas’ shoulders as he kissed at her and she sighed, content. “Mmm. Indeed,” she breathed as she peered up into the rafters high over their heads, thankfully it was blissfully dark, but she had no doubt that they would be the talk of the town come morning. “So good,” she breathed as she rubbed at his back, “I’m sorry, don’t think I can form many coherent sentences at the moment.”

He chuckled and nuzzled into her. “I understand completely,” he murmured, feeling sleep pulling at him. He reached down and grabbed up her blanket from where it had fallen on the floor, then covered them both with it. He didn’t want her to go just yet. In the morning, he knew there would be much to consider, to think about. But he wasn’t ready for that just yet. For now, he just wanted to enjoy the moment. “Stay with me,” he said softly. “Just for tonight.”


	9. Chapter 9

Lindsey wandered around outside the Great Hall, wondering what on earth was keeping her sister. She was dying to tell Jennifer about the invitation to the Winter Palace. And Jen had said she had something to tell, but they both agreed that the kitchen wasn’t the place to do so. The other cooks seemed to be taking far too much interest in their conversations. 

So now here she was, about to burst with excitement, and Jennifer was nowhere in sight. She heaved a sigh, her shoulders slumping, and stomped over towards Cassandra and her training dummies, with Varric sitting nearby scribbling away at a book in his lap. “Ya’ll haven’t seen Jen, have you?” she asked, looking around as if she expected her sister to just appear out of midair. 

Varric looked up from his book, secretly another chapter of Swords and Shields, but he told Cassandra it was a recounting of their adventures in the other world. He gave a smile to Lindsey. “What’s wrong, Freckles? Did you lose her between the kitchens and here?” He looked over at Cassandra who was hacking away at the training dummy, “She’s been doing that all day, she hasn’t seen your sister for certain.”

“Dammit,” Lindsey sighed. “And yeah, I sorta lost her. I told her I’d meet her after I… ah…” she looked away from him and spoke out of the corner of her mouth as if trying to make him not hear her, “took Cullen some breakfast.” Her face blushed and she almost cringed, prepared for the teasing at any minute. 

Varric smiled and started writing again. “That’s good. He’s been looking better since yesterday. Whatever you did for him, keep doing it. Otherwise we think he’ll fall over while he’s training the recruits. The man does not know when to take a break for himself,” he said as he tilted his head back. Movement on the steps coming down from the Great Hall caught his eye and he smiled. “There she is. Heading this way.” He smirked, seeing the look on her face. She looked like the cat that got the cream. He nearly laughed, from what he had heard rumour wise, it wasn’t that far from the truth. Varric winced, “Oh I didn’t need to imagine that.”

Lindsey turned a little too fast to see her sister, nearly tripping over her own feet. “Me first! Me first!” she cried, bouncing on her toes. She didn’t even care if Varric and Cassandra overheard her acting like some silly schoolgirl with a horrible crush. She beamed when Jennifer finally reached her. “You’re never gonna guess,” she grinned, looking like she was about to burst. “Cullen asked me to go to the ball at the Winter Palace with him!”

For the first time that morning, Cassandra stopped attacking her dummies and turned to watch the sisters. This sounded far too interesting to miss. She shook her head at Varric, who had raised an eyebrow at her, and she wandered closer to him, acting as if she were going for a drink of water instead of trying to eavesdrop.

Jennifer laughed and smiled brightly at Lindsey. “That’s great news! Oh my gods, you have to wear something other than that horrible red and blue uniform they stick everyone else in!” She grinned widely at Lindsey, “I have something to tell you too! I fucked Solas last night!”

Lindsey was shocked silent for a full minute, not even noticing as Cassandra choked and sputtered on her water. “Slut,” she deadpanned. She deflated a moment later, crossing her arms as her lips turned down in a mock-pout. “You win,” she sighed. She couldn’t hold it much longer and her excitement returned full force. “Are you serious? I… Wow. Do I want the details or no?”

“Nope, I’m out,” Varric said as he pushed himself to his feet, giving Cassandra a parting, and knowing, glance before he headed back to the Great Hall. He already knew too much about Solas and he didn’t want to add to that pile. He still had to figure out how to confront the elf and then somehow tell Cassandra about it without her murdering him.

“Wha… but… don’t leave me here!” Cassandra sputtered, her eyes wide at his sudden departure. She huffed and growled under her breath, then sat herself on the stool there, not certain if she should leave or not. But it was too good, she had to know what had happened. And the sisters didn’t seem to mind.

“Varric! You’re gonna miss the good stuff!” Lindsey called after him, then snickered as he pointedly ignored her. “I know he heard me,” she muttered before she turned her attention to Jennifer again. “So how did this happen? Did you just saunter up to him and drop some cheesy pickup line like ‘hey, I like your ears’ or did you just jump him?”

Jennifer grinned and looked back over at Cassandra before she focused on her sister. “Better! He came to me in a dream. It was a steamy dream where there were two desire demons disguised as Dorian and Iron Bull. They were up to some really yummy stuff with ropes and the like.” She waved her hand in the air. “Then Solas appeared and told me they were desire demons, I think he might have, like, sensed them or something and he came to protect me. Then I jumped him! Then the ass said he had to have me for real so he woke me up, I found him in the rotunda and oh! Magic. He is QUITE talented with those fingers of his,” she said with a wicked grin. 

Lindsey’s eyes were wide as her sister recounted the night with Solas. “Holy shit,” she breathed. “You don’t waste time, do you sis?” She couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her lips. She was sure last night had been a dream come true for Jen, literally and figuratively. Still, she couldn’t help the bit of concern that flared in her heart. “You sure you know what you’re doing? What he did to your Inquisitor in the game was bad enough. Can you handle that for real if it happens again?”

Cassandra wasn’t sure at this point what they were talking about. Though she supposed it was silly, she had never really thought about Solas having an interest in anyone. He was so serious, always focusing on his work… She mentally slapped herself. That could’ve easily described her as well before she and Varric took an interest in each other. She’d heard enough to quench her curiosity about what had happened between Jennifer and Solas the night before. Now she truly felt she was intruding. Without a word, she picked up her sword again and went back to her training dummies where she could block out the rest of their conversation.

“Maybe it was a bit sudden, but I don’t regret it,” Jennifer said as she thought over the night, a silly smile growing on her lips, “Even if he just did it to scratch an itch, I’m glad I had the chance.” She pushed at Lindsey’s shoulder. “You know me. I’m a glutton for pain apparently in real life as well as virtual. Even if he breaks my heart, I’ll go back. I’m like a little puppy pining after its owner or something. I’m not going to learn, am I? But you! You got invited to the Winter Palace! That’s so perfect! You know that is a date! I am really jealous. I want to dance with Solas. Mmm but you get Cullen.”

“Yessss,” Lindsey said, closing her eyes as if savoring a delicious treat. She opened them again and grinned. “I’ll make sure to drag you along, too. You should get to come! Make Solas take you dancing.” She stopped for a moment, chewing her lip. “What am I going to wear? The ball is coming up soon, isn’t it? I wonder if I’ll have enough money saved up to buy a decent dress. I don’t think I care much for the Orlesian dresses I saw in the game. Hmmm,” she hummed thoughtfully, looking down at her shoes. “Do you think Dorian might know what would be good to wear? I’d ask Josephine, but,” she paused and shuddered. “I think she might go overboard.”

Jennifer laughed. “If there’s one thing I am certain of, it’s that Dorian is on top of fashion here. Though he might set you up in something from Tevinter that would probably look better on a man rather than one of us, but hey! It’ll look good,” she said as she threw her arm around Lindsey’s shoulders, “Good grief. I can’t believe we are here at all, you know? It feels so surreal. I almost think we died in the fire or maybe someone drugged our food and that’s why we hallucinated Dorian and the others coming to our house in the first place.”

“Nah, this is too real. And we’re not dead,” Lindsey grinned. “And I remember seeing concept art of Tevinter fashion. I liked the dress I saw, actually.” She trotted up the stairs with her sister, all the way up to Dorian’s nook. “Who’s our favorite Tevinterrrr?” she singsonged, batting her eyelashes at him and flashing him a big smile.

“No,” Dorian said without looking up from his book, reaching over to the little table next to him to pick up his wine glass and took a healthy swallow. “I’ve told your sister a hundred times by now, Bull and I are not interested in having an audience, thank you very much. Besides, I hear that Solas might have a thing or two to say about you coming and asking to watch,” he said as he looked over at the sisters, his brow raised, “My dear Lindsey, I am rather shocked that you would fall to your sister’s goading.”

Lindsey elbowed Jennifer. “See what you’ve done? You’ve ruined him. He’s constantly on the defensive now,” she said, though her words held little bite. She couldn’t stop the smile that split her lips as she turned her attention back to Dorian. “No, Dorian, that’s not why we’re here. As gorgeous as you are naked, I’m sure, I had something different in mind. Cullen asked me to the Winter Palace. But I don’t know what to wear. Can you help me?”

Dorian lowered his book, his eyebrows going up and the corner of his lips curled upwards. “Oh, did he now? That’s marvelous! It’s about time the dear Commander found someone to dote upon!” He marked the place in his book and set it down before he stood up, looking Lindsey over for a moment. “I commend you on coming to me on the matter. Have you seen what they are stuffing us into for the Winter Palace? As good as I look in red, the whole primary colors together, not so much.” He waved a hand in the air, “Never mind that.” He tapped a finger against his lips as he looked her over, thinking and combining colors. “Hmmm, how to best compliment you to what the Commander will be wearing. With your hair and complexion… I am thinking something along the lines of navy blue. I’d suggest green, but standing next to the dear Commander, you might look a bit overly festive.”

Lindsey smiled at that, feeling relief wash over her. “I knew you’d know what to do,” she gushed. She cleared her throat. “But, ah, the Commander isn’t exactly doting on me. I’m… more of an excuse,” she admitted. “I warned him about the nobles hitting on him at the Winter Palace and he freaked out a bit. Asked me to go as his date so he doesn’t have to dance with any of them. But I was hoping that maybe I could catch his eye a bit more at the ball.” 

Dorian waved his hand in the air. “You are missing the point, my dear. Granted, it’s Orlesians, but the dear Commander trusts you enough to protect him from all of those grabby hands in the first place. He wouldn’t ask just anyone to go with him, now would he? If I know the Commander, and I play chess with the man, you learn a lot about someone when you play chess with them, he would suffer through whatever misery he would have to for this Inquisition. The fact that he invited you, even under the ruse of a bodyguard, is saying something. So, we will make certain that you steal away his breath.”

“Really?” Lindsey beamed. “Dorian, you’re the best.” She gave a happy sigh and leaned her head on her sister’s shoulder. “And you’re coming, too, dammit, even if I have to smuggle you in,” she said to her and hugged her sister tightly before she stood up straight. “How soon is the ball? I hope I have enough time to earn enough money to actually buy a damn dress. Shit,” she hissed and chewed at her nails, wondering if there was anything else she could do around Skyhold to make up the difference.

Dorian groaned and shook his head. “I’ll not hear another word of that. I am buying the two of you dresses and I don’t want to hear another word about the matter,” he said, a grin already spreading on his face, “After everything you did for us back in your world, I daresay that it is time that we returned the favor to you.” He gave them both a look as if he were daring them to say something on the matter. He looked at Jennifer, giving her the same critical eye he had given her sister, “I have no idea what we are going to do to you. The dress I pick out for you is going to be lost on him, but ah well.”

“So news really does spread that fast around here, huh?” Lindsey asked, shooting her sister a look. “Why was I the last to know? No one ever tells me shit. Oh well. Anyway!” she said and clapped her hands. “When can we go dress shopping?” She blushed and giggled. “Sorry, I’m way too excited about this, aren’t I? I can’t help it. I’m a sucker for pretty dresses and any excuse to wear them.”

Dorian smiled and tapped his lips. “Luckily, it’s not for another two weeks. We should go to Val Royeaux as soon as we can. I know of at least one vendor that doesn’t spit in my direction whenever I go by. And they import from Nevarra and on occasion from my homeland if they are feeling a bit daring. The dresses in Tevinter are quite extravagant. Though, not as terrible as the Orlesians’ poofy dresses. I swear, these people just do not think. Don’t they realize how many weapons a woman could be hiding on herself?”

“Aww, I like poofy! Just… not Orlesian poofy. I dunno, there was something about those dresses that just… meh,” Lindsey said, sticking out her tongue. She looked to her sister, who seemed to be lost in a daydream. “Yoohoo, you still with us? Or are you reliving your night with Solas all over again?” she teased. “You haven’t said a word since we got here.”

Jennifer blinked and smiled. “Sorry, I was… yeah. I was rethinking it again.” She giggled and followed Dorian as he motioned for them to follow him as he headed towards the Great Hall. She dropped her voice down to a hiss, “He’s really talented!” She gave a dreamy sigh.

Dorian looked over his shoulder, an eyebrow raised. “I’m not certain if we are talking about the same elf. This is Solas, yes? Drab elven apostate hobo who looks like he stitched together his entire wardrobe? Although, I will give him points on the muscles he is obviously sporting. The ass looks nice even though he has those rags covering it up.” He waved his hand in the air, “Nevermind that. Let’s find Cassandra, I want to see if she’ll dress up now that she’s with Varric. Though, I don’t fancy my arm broken. I’m going to hide behind one of you when we ask her.”

“Great. First we’re your cooks, now we’re human shields,” Lindsey muttered, though she snickered at the thought. “C’mon, Cassandra’s probably still with her training dummies. Should be easy enough to corner her.” She grinned and practically skipped along beside them as they approached Cassandra. “Who’s our favorite Seeeeekerrrr?” she sang.

“No,” Cassandra replied without turning from her dummies.

Lindsey’s shoulders fell. “Does that not work on ANYONE here?!” A pout crossed her lips. “You all are no fun.” She looked at Dorian and gave him a nudge towards Cassandra.

“Oh come now, Cassandra. We all know the ball is coming up faster than we would like to admit and it is no secret that you and a certain dwarf will be attending,” Dorian said. “These fine women have come to me in their hour of need and I have decided that we need to go emergency dress shopping in Val Royeaux lest their paramours be stuck with dates in those stuffy uniforms Josephine came up with. Honestly, I have no idea what she was thinking. Anyway, since you and our resident storyteller have finally hooked up, I was wondering if you would like a dress as well. Think of how you’ll steal away Varric’s breath when he sees you all dressed up for the ball.”

Cassandra faltered in her swing, her sword clattering loudly to the ground. She spun on her heel, the blood draining from her face. “Me? In a dress?! Dorian, you have surely lost your mind,” she breathed in horror. She shook her head adamantly. “No. We are going to the ball to stop the assassination on the empress’ life. Not to… to dance and socialize! The uniforms Josephine picked out are far more practical than a dress.” She shook her head again, taking a step back from Dorian as if his crazy were contagious. “No.”

“Duchess Florianne does it,” Jennifer said and smiled sweetly at Cassandra, “There! Mystery solved! We might as well enjoy ourselves now! What do you think, Dorian, a red dress for her? We could even weave flowers into the braid around her head!” She didn’t know why, but the look of horror on Cassandra’s face was priceless and she grinned as Dorian tilted his head at the Seeker.

“Mmm, red is too bold for our dear Cassandra. I think something more earthy, perhaps a deep burgundy or wine color. That would definitely highlight her skin color. And something to really take away Varric’s breath, perhaps a low back. Every time he escorts you, he’d have his bare hand against your back. Now I want to redesign those awful uniforms. Come now, Cassandra, what are your measurements?”

“Dorian, NO,” she insisted, crossing her arms firmly over her chest. “There is no force in this world or the next that could put me in a dress. It was bad enough those two stuck me in that bathing suit back in their world!” she cried, pointing an accusatory finger at Jennifer and Lindsey. She narrowed her eyes at them. “This is your doing. You’re meddling again.”

Lindsey shook her head, though it was a struggle to not snicker at the Seeker’s distress. “We just wanted dresses for ourselves. Don’t you want to come with us, Cass? It’d be so much fun! Maybe we should go ask Varric his opinion.” She really did smirk then, but cringed and hid behind her sister the next moment. “Don’t let her hurt me!”

Jennifer grinned, seeing the look of horror that passed over Cassandra’s face. “We SHOULD go and ask Varric. Though I say that he says it should be a dress or nothing and he has no dress in his room.” She laughed and threw her arm around Lindsey’s shoulders. “Come on, Cassandra! This will be fun! It’ll be like when we went to the city with you all in our world. I’ll bet that you look dead sexy in a dress too.” She laughed as she saw the woman back up again. “Ah hell, you’re going to run, aren’t you?”

The words had barely left Jennifer’s mouth before Cassandra bolted, her long legs carrying her swiftly across the yard and up the steps to the Great Hall. They couldn’t drag her along to try on dresses if they couldn’t find her. Surely they knew her better than that, to think that she would agree to such craziness. She skidded and nearly lost her footing as she took a turn, barely paying attention to where she was heading. She just had to put space between herself and them. Without a thought, she flung open Varric’s door and slammed it behind her, leaning back heavily on it and breathing out a sigh. His room was empty, thank the Maker. She didn’t want to have to explain this to him. 

Footsteps in the hall drew her attention. “Andraste’s tits!” she hissed and all but dove to slip under Varric’s bed. It was entirely childish, she knew that, and she didn’t give a damn. She held her breath as the door opened, expecting it to be Dorian or one of the sisters, and she buried her face in her arms to try to hide even further.

Varric raised his eyebrows as he looked around, he had definitely seen Cassandra run in there. He had seen Dorian and the other two talking to her in the courtyard and the next thing he knew, she was sprinting away as fast as those Maker damned long legs could take her. He could guess what they had tried to do. He chuckled and bolted the door behind him before he went over to the chest in his room and dug out the bottle of wine, blowing off the fine layer of dust before he quickly worked the cork out of the end. He walked over to the bed and set it down on the floor before he went over to his desk. “So, they are trying to get you into a dress, hmm? I’m surprised, Seeker. I would have thought you would break Dorian’s arm for such an offense.”

Cassandra peered at the wine bottle for a moment before she crawled out from under Varric’s bed, a strong blush on her face for being caught. “I would have, but then we would have had to listen to his endless complaints for months,” she said as she sat on the floor and leaned back against the bed, grabbing up the wine bottle and taking a healthy swig. She smacked her lips and looked at him where he sat at the desk. “Can you believe they even tried? Me. In a dress. The idea is ludicrous.” She shuddered and took another drink. She paused, looking at him curiously. “You… would not prefer if I wore a dress to the Winter Palace… would you?”

Varric looked over at Cassandra as he arranged things on the table in front of him, opening up his inkwell and looking through his quills. “Hmm, I don’t know. I think the world might come to an end if you wore a dress. Not that you wouldn’t look good in it, it’s just not your style, you know? Hell, I expect you would wear full battle armor to your own wedding. I’m actually surprised that they’ve got you dressing up for the Winter Palace. I really have to have a talk to Ruffles about that blue sash though.” He looked over at the Seeker, “What I am curious about is why you ran right for my room as a refuge.”

She blinked at that, then looked down at the bottle in her hand for a moment. “I don’t suppose you would believe me if I said it’s because you have good wine hidden in here?” she asked, but sighed the next minute. She went quiet, thinking about why she’d chosen his room. It was instinct, more than anything. “I suppose it’s because I feel safe in here,” she admitted, not looking up from the bottle. She gave a shrug. “Maybe that is silly of me. I was in no real danger. But something about being here in your room calms me. I don’t know if that makes any sense at all.”

Varric paused in what he was doing, turning in his seat to look at her for a moment. There was a quip on the tip of his tongue, but it died when he saw the sincerity in her eyes as she looked down at the bottle. He wasn’t sure what he could say to that. He pushed himself up again, walking over to her before he turned and sat down next to her, leaning against the side of the bed and took the bottle from her, taking a long drink of the cool liquid before he handed it back. “Say, did I ever tell you about the time Hawke’s mother tried to stick Aveline into a dress?” He smiled at that and leaned his head back on the bed, “She’s a bit like you, so you know it didn’t go over well…”

* * *

 

It was some time later, Varric wasn’t sure how much time had passed. He lost himself as he told stories of his time in Kirkwall and he didn’t realize how late it was until Cassandra’s head dropped onto his shoulder causing him to stop mid sentence. He looked at her the best he could. “Seeker?” he asked, reaching out to nudge her carefully. The bottle of wine was long since empty and might have contributed to her state. He chuckled and gingerly moved, catching her head as he stood up. “Seeker.” He poked her again, but she just groaned and turned her head away from him. “Oh, I see. You’re one of those people,” he muttered quietly before he knelt and gathered her into his arms, lifting her up the short distance to the mattress. She’d wake up later, or not. He found he didn’t mind that much as he pulled off her boots and covered her up. 

Cassandra shifted on the soft bed, the slightest hint of a smile on her lips as Varric pulled the blankets up over her shoulder. She loved to listen to his stories, the gravelly sound of his voice. She loved being in his room with him, to sleep in his bed. All of it. She loved every moment she got to spend with him. She sighed deeply, nearly a yawn, and snuggled more into the pillow. She knew he would be up late, writing whatever story he claimed to be working on at the moment. “Tell me more,” she murmured sleepily without opening her eyes. “I love you...r stories.”

Varric nearly froze as he heard her, the edge of his lips curling up at how unguarded she was. She sounded so sleepy and it only seemed to make her that much more endearing. “I figured you were just using me to get free stories out of me. I’m going to start charging before too long, you know. I’ll have to make a living somehow,” he teased her before he smoothed the blanket out over her back and gave a moment’s thought before he drug his desk chair to the bedside and grabbed the book he was writing in, propping it open in his lap before he opened it up to the first page. “So I started writing us in that new world. Listen and tell me what you think of it so far,” he said, smiling as he started reading, “No shit, there we were...” 


	10. Chapter 10

Cassandra awoke early the next morning, stretching her long limbs before she rolled to her side to see Varric still sleeping peacefully next to her. By the Maker, he was so handsome. She reached over and trailed her fingertips over his scratchy cheek, a smile on her lips. And there it was again, that fluttery falling feeling that made her heart swoon and her knees weak. She moved to gently kiss his lips before she sat up and pulled on her boots, thinking of grabbing a quick bite of breakfast before training that day. 

She stood and stretched before something caught her eye. The papers Varric had been writing still lay on his desk. Curiosity got the best of her and, after a quick glance at him to make sure he was still sleeping, she crept closer and picked them up. He’d read part of it to her last night, but she’d fallen back asleep and hadn’t heard much of what he’d written. He must’ve stayed up long after she’d fallen asleep, because there was quite a bit here.

She sat in his chair, losing herself in the story as she ravenously read. Oh he had such a way with words. It amazed her how he could bring things to life in such a way. It was as if she were reliving every moment back in the other world, even if he did embellish it quite a bit. Even the city, which had been so different from anything she’d ever seen before, he described in perfect detail so anyone here in Thedas could easily picture it in their mind. And then…

“Oh, he didn’t!” she exclaimed, her eyes wide in disbelief as she stared at the paper in her hand. “Varric! You ASS!”

Varric jerked awake from his spot in his bed, not entirely certain what was going on, but he heard his name and for a moment he felt an icy fear lance through him as he wondered what he could have done for Cassandra to be yelling at him this early in the morning. Shit, had he left his papers out from last night? He quickly tried to remember if he had written anything incriminating from their journey’s in the other world. Particularly about Solas. He didn’t think he would have written that shit down and if he did then he deserved whatever fury she had for him because he was an idiot. “I didn’t do it!”

"Liar," she hissed, shaking the papers at him. Did he really have the gall to lie to her face when the evidence was right there in front of her? "Don't tell me you didn't do it! It is right here, in your handwriting! How dare you try to lie your way out of this one?" That made her angrier than anything, that he would try to deny it. Did he really think she was that stupid? Yes, let's just insult her even further. She saw red as she stared at him, her hand clutching the papers shaking. "YOU ARE SUCH AN ASS!"

He winced and pushed himself up, his hands raising in defense. “Look, Cassandra. I can explain everything. Well, maybe not, but really, I’m as much as a victim as you are!” he sputtered as she shoved the papers into his face and he quickly skimmed over the words, relief nearly knocking him over and he burst out laughing, “Oh shit. That’s what you are upset about!?” He ran a hand through his hair and he relaxed against the headboard. “Shit.”

He might as well have slapped her. “You think this is  funny?!”  She drew back with a gasp, her eyes wide and her face burning hot with fury. She licked her lips and held the paper up, reading aloud, “The Seeker’s long legs stepped carefully into the water. The barely-there fabric left little to the imagination.” She grit her teeth as she continued to read, every word becoming more strained. “Her ample breasts strained against the skimpy top…” She made a disgusted noise and threw the papers on the bed. “How could you write such garbage about me? To describe me in that suit! All of Thedas will read this book and you know it!” She paused and blinked at him, the words he’d spoken catching up to her. “You are a victim?” she asked, tipping her head at him, taking a step towards him. “Victim of what?”

Think fast Tethras, he thought to himself and he let the easy smile spread across his face as he reached out to grab her hand and pull her back towards the bed. “A victim that I had to sit there and just watch you. Had I known you would have been agreeable to more...” He trailed off and gave her a wink, “Besides, that’s not the worst thing I’ve written. You’ve read Swords and Shields. I could have taken some artistic liberties. For instance, when I was writing that last night, I was imagining what would have happened had that top just snapped off.”

Cassandra climbed onto the bed and straddled his thighs, looking down at him with a warm expression on her face. She ran her fingers through his bed-tousled hair, a smile on her lips at the way he leaned into her touch. “Varric,” she said, then wrenched her fingers into his hair, yanking his head back, “if you think for one moment that I am falling for another one of your lies, you are sadly mistaken! How much of a fool do you take me for?”

Shit. It was all he could think of as she yanked his head back and restrained him. What did he do? He had to make a split second decision to either come clean or risk lying to her again. Where as before, he would have had no problem lying to her, he felt sick at the thought of doing so now. He didn’t want to keep anything from her because she deserved better. Because she demanded the best. He didn’t want to hurt her, but he didn’t want to risk whatever shit would come of him telling her something crucial about the game. “Cassandra,” he said, his voice nearly cracking, “Shit, I can’t tell you. I want to. With every fiber of my being, I want to tell you what I found out in the other world, but I can’t. The sisters told me a thing. An important thing that if it’s found out too soon could mean us losing everything. They said I couldn’t tell anyone about it.” He closed his eyes and turned his head in her grasp. “And fuck, all I want to do is just be honest with you because you are the first good thing to come into my life for a long fucking time and then this shit happens. I’m so SICK of lying. Of keeping secrets. I wish I hadn’t found out, Cassandra. I wish I could be ignorant and happy.” He looked back at her, trying to judge her mood.

She narrowed her eyes as she stared hard at him for a long minute. She wasn’t certain what she was supposed to feel. Curiosity about what he’d discovered in the other world and what it could mean for them here. Anger that he had a secret and wouldn’t tell her. And appreciation that he was at least honest enough to tell her that he couldn’t tell her. She loosened her fingers in his hair, slowly, but didn’t completely remove her hand. “Is it really that serious?” she asked in a calm voice. Something about it made her stomach squirm unpleasantly.

Varric watched her, feeling his heart slowly crushing under the weight of his own words. “Yeah. I know it’s asking a lot of you, especially after what I’ve done, to believe me, but it’s the truth. And if I thought for one second that this was something that could hurt more people, I would tell you. I would tell you in a heartbeat. I’ve learned my lesson. I know what kind of shit keeping secrets costs. Fuck,” he breathed, closing his eyes as he felt the pinpricks of pain that signaled tears. He didn’t want to lose her over this fucking secret.

She searched his face, trying desperately to tell if he was lying to her. She felt her heart warm the next moment. “I believe you,” she said softly and dipped her face to kiss him. She savored it, the feel of his firm lips against hers, the scratch of his chin against her skin. But the next moment she pulled back and started slapping his arm again and again. “But that still does not get you off the hook for writing about me in the swimsuit!”

Varric’s eyes went wide the next moment and he blinked at her, barely feeling the slaps to his arms. It felt like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders and he stared at her. “Wait, what? That’s it? No punches thrown, no tables flipped? I mean…” He trailed off, about to say that he probably deserved it, but he didn’t know. He reached up and caught her wrists, stopping her assault. “Cassandra.”

“I still say you’re an ass,” she growled in frustration. “Varric, you cannot put that out there for all of Thedas to read!” She heaved a dramatic sigh and leaned forward to press her forehead to his. Damn this dwarf. He was going to be the death of her, she was sure of it. She didn’t try to fight the strong grip on her wrists; if anything, it only made goosebumps dance down her spine. “Ass,” she muttered weakly.

He couldn’t stop himself from laughing at that and he reached up, pulling her more firmly down on top of him as he hugged her tightly. “Shit, Seeker. I’ll rewrite it then, but I’m keeping that in our personal pile that’s just for us. To go with those drawings,” he said.

She sighed and leaned against him, letting him wrap her up in his strong embrace. After a moment, she moved to lay in the bed next to him, worrying what he could have learned while in the other world. Oh, this was going to drive her mad. And the longer she thought about it, the more sick to her stomach it made her. “This… secret you discovered, I would not tell anyone else,” she said softly, letting her fingertips trail lightly over his chest as a frown pulled at her lips. Part of her was hurt that he wouldn’t share this with her. She met his eyes, holding his gaze firmly. “Varric, do you not trust me?”

He looked at her reaching one hand up to tuck it behind his head and he let his other hand hold her close, tracing nonsensical patterns over her back. “You know I do, but shit. This isn’t something that you would keep to yourself. Someone would get stabbed and I have no idea what else, but I’m not willing to find out. I don’t want any more blood on my hands. Shit, I don’t want to keep things from you and if I had found out any other way I would have come straight to you. This is different. I wasn’t supposed to find out.”

She didn’t like the way that sounded. At all. “Varric, this sounds like something you shouldn’t be keeping a secret,” she said, a little more insistently. “If something’s going to make me want to stab someone, it is usually important! I don’t care if you were supposed to find out or not. You know now and if it affects the Inquisition at all, you shouldn’t be keeping it to yourself!” She huffed irritatedly, shaking her head at him. “I do not know what to think of you right now.”

He closed his eyes for a moment, his thoughts all over the place about what he could say to fix the whole situation. He wished he could go back in time and unwatch that Maker damned video. “I know I was wrong in the past, Seeker. I know that, but please. You have to trust me on this. You think that after that whole mess with Hawke that I would keep this to myself if I knew it wasn’t important to keep it quiet? It would ruin the Inquisition if it got out and we can’t take that chance right now. The world needs the Inquisition. Don’t you trust me enough to just leave it at that?”

She thought on his words, the frown on her lips deepening. What could be so bad that it would ruin the Inquisition? And why did he not trust her to keep it a secret? This was bad, whatever it was, and somehow she just didn’t believe that keeping secrets that big could turn out well in the end. She slowly pulled away from him, sitting up on the edge of the bed out of his reach. “You ask me to trust you without question,” she said, “But you will not do the same for me?” She shook her head as she got to her feet. That seemed incredibly unfair to her. “I have training to do,” she stated stiffly and left the room, shutting the door a little too hard behind her.

Varric winced as she slammed the door behind her and he groaned before he moved to lay flat on his back. “Way to go, Tethras,” he muttered before he rubbed at his face. He might as well have just ended that relationship. And for what? To protect Chuckles while the Inquisition sorted out this mess that was his fault to begin with? “Fuck. Why does this always have to be my damn fault?” he muttered and rolled onto his side. Maybe he could get the sisters to come clean to Cassandra, explain it to her. He sat up with a groan and and a hand through his hair, “Shit.” A good thing and it was over far too soon. He was clearly not meant to have a happy ending. He got out of bed and dressed. “Damned if I let it go this easily,” he muttered and left, heading for the kitchens.

* * *

 

“I can’t wait to go to Val Royeaux with Dorian,” Lindsey grinned as she and Jennifer worked in the kitchen, preparing breakfast. It was all she could think about; she’d barely even slept the night before she was so excited. She kept picturing dresses in her head, picturing Cullen in that uniform. Even if the colors were awful, she still thought he pulled it off rather well. “Oh! Shit!” she cried as she realized she’d almost burned Dorian’s breakfast. “I gotta stop,” she muttered to herself, then looked up as the dwarf came into the kitchen. “Hey Varric,” she greeted him cheerily. “You hungry? We can make some for you, too.”

He shook his head. “We have to talk. The both of you,” he said as he spotted her finishing plating Dorian’s breakfast and he looked to one of the other cooks, flipping them a few gold coins. “Hope you don’t mind, but I need you to run Sparkler his breakfast. I need to steal his cooks for a minute,” he said as he gave the two sisters a look before he motioned for them to follow him. 

Lindsey felt a sudden sick, swooping sensation in her stomach and she wanted to curl up and hide. She exchanged a glance with her sister, then followed Varric. Her mind went crazy, trying to think of something she or her sister had done wrong. She licked her lips, picking at her fingernails as they walked. “Are we in trouble?” she asked timidly. There was only one thing that she could think of that might’ve warranted this. “If this is about taking Cassandra dress shopping, we were just kidding!” She swallowed hard. This really bothered her, to feel like he was upset with them. 

Varric opened the door to the wine room and quickly closed them inside, running a hand over his face as he thought over his words. “You have to tell Cassandra the truth about Solas. She found out I’m keeping a secret from her and let’s just say it didn’t end well. You have to tell her because I’m sick of lying to her and I really don’t want this to be on my hands. You have to explain to her why!” he pleaded.

Lindsey felt the blood drain out of her face. She’d completely forgotten that Varric knew. She reached over and clapped a hand over Jennifer’s mouth to keep her from speaking as she thought carefully about the oath they’d made to Solas. To keep his secret, to not speak about it to anyone who didn’t already know. Varric already knew when they made the oath. They should be safe, but she would have to choose her words carefully. She shook her head. “No. We can’t. I’m sorry, Varric. Do you know what that would do if that got out? Do you know what  _ he  _ might do if it got out?”

Varric rubbed at his face. “So what? I’m supposed to give up another chance at being happy just because Chuckles fucked up?” He tried to reel in his emotions but he was so sick of everything, “I wish I didn’t know! I wish I could go back to being ignorant about the whole thing and this wouldn’t be an issue. I am so sick of lying to her. Tell me what I can tell her. Tell me what I can say to her that will make her understand. What you told me, that I understood, but it’s not good enough for her. You know how she is! If she thinks that someone is in danger because of me again, she wants to know the whole story.”

Lindsey’s heart raced, pounding against her ribs. “Why can’t she just trust you?” she countered, feeling sorry for him, but frightened for herself and her sister at the same time. She lowered her hand from Jennifer’s face, then pinched the bridge of her own nose. “I don’t think we can talk to her about this. There has to be some happy-medium we can find here. But you can’t tell her what you know. Varric, please! If this got out, if he found out that you know…” She trailed off and had to swallow hard, her eyes beginning to sting. “Please,” she whispered desperately. “You don’t understand. This has to be kept a secret.”

Jennifer winced as Varric looked between the two of them, almost as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Well, Solas heard that we knew stuff and well, we needed him to trust us so we ah… made an oath with him. That we wouldn’t tell anyone who he was or talk about him to people who didn’t already know. If we do,” She rubbed at the back of her neck, “We’ll die. We didn’t plan on telling anyone, so it was a pretty sure thing to do!”

“Chuckles made you do WHAT?” Varric asked in a louder voice and he groaned, “No, shit, I should tell her about it if he’s going around making death oaths to people who know his secret! I mean, what the hell was he thinking! I know he’s trying to clear up this mess, I know he’s trying to make it right, but he doesn’t have to keep going and adding to the body count! Shit!” He ran a hand over his head and tried to think. “Okay, what if I tell her, then she already knows and then you can clear it up? Make her stop from going and letting this getting out?” 

“And what if he finds out you told her? What if he thinks we told you, that somehow the spell didn’t work, and he decides to kill us himself?” Lindsey asked. She moved to lean back against the wall and slid to the floor. “God damn it all,” she muttered as she grabbed at her hair, leaning her elbows on her knees. “Think, think, think,” she whispered to herself. “This is a fucking mess.” She looked up, clasping her hands behind her neck. 

“There has to be a way to do this so no one gets hurt.” She chewed her lip, trying to work out a plan in her head. “Okay, Varric, you tell Cassandra. Just… try to keep her from flying off the handle when you do. But she can’t speak a word of it to anyone, not even us, just in case. Jen, you’re in Solas’ pants. He’s least likely to kill you. You go to him and tell him that Varric already knew when we made the oath. We just forgot about it or we would’ve told him before hand. Or do we keep it a secret that Varric knows? Maybe it would be better if Solas didn’t know. I don’t want to risk him killing anyone. Especially not you, sis.”

Jennifer gave her sister a look and just shook her head. “Ugh, well, at least if he does kill me I can finally say that I’ve lived a full life,” she said and looked to Varric with a sympathetic gaze, “We didn’t mean to cause you any more trouble. You know you are our favorite dwarf. Tell Cassandra the truth, try to reason with her if she can. Emphasize that, you know, despite what he’s done, Solas is trying to make it right. Not unlike you. Maybe she’ll listen.”

Varric took his hair tie out and shook out his hair before he rubbed at his temples. “Shit, I don’t want either you to die because of me. I have more than enough blood on my hands as it is, don’t you think? Maybe it’s just my lot in life. I’m just the minor character that doesn’t get his happy ending because that’s the way it is.” He thought of Cassandra then, the way she looked at him with the betrayal evident in her eyes. At least she would be honest with him and call him out on his bullshit.

A frown crossed Lindsey’s lips and her heart sank to hear him speak like that. “Varric, you do what you have to do. Don’t worry about us. We’ll handle Solas. You just make things right between you and Cass. You deserve to be happy, and so does she. I don’t want to cause problems between the two of you,” she said, sighing and leaning back against the wall again. “Man, I feel like shit for this. I hope Cassandra is willing to hear you out. I’m so sorry, Varric.”

He rubbed the back of his neck before he fixed his hair and made a noncommittal gesture into the air as he turned away from them, heading out the door. “Don’t worry about it,” he muttered as he left the lower part of Skyhold and let his feet carry him elsewhere. He knew they meant well and it wasn’t like they were in a better position than he was. They’d found out the same way he had, he figured. So they were all fucked.


	11. Chapter 11

Cassandra swung her sword again, relishing in the loud, dull thunks of her blade against the wood. It drowned out any other sounds, allowing her to think clearly. Had she overreacted? She didn’t feel so, but then again perhaps it was better if she didn’t know. She sighed. Why did everything always have to be so complicated? It wasn’t fair. Then again, she hadn’t exactly been fair to Varric. She was already upset about the writing and he hadn’t been prepared to tell her about this secret. Maybe now that they’d both had time to themselves, they could come to some sort of compromise. 

She took a step back, wiping the sweat from her forehead. Her mouth was dry and she turned to grab up her water when she saw Varric walking across the yard. She wanted to say something to him, but she didn’t know whether she wanted to shout at him or apologize. Instead she pressed her lips thin, took a long swallow of water, then turned back to the dummies. She would leave it up to him if he wanted to approach her again or not.

Varric spotted Cassandra grabbing a drink of water. Her long neck bobbing as she drank and he sighed, not ready for this.  ‘Please, Maker, don’t let this kill anyone,’ he thought as he walked over to her, keeping an eye on her and her sword. He watched as she turned away from him and he swallowed, looking at the training dummy as she hacked away at it. “You’re right, you know. You always are, but you have to trust me on this when I say you can’t run off and stab someone when I tell you what I know.”

She paused in her swings, her lips still pressed together, listening to him as he spoke. She turned and looked at him, raising an eyebrow. “That is asking a lot,” she said in a serious tone. The corners of her mouth tugged in a frown. Did she really want to know? Part of her screamed yes, but the other part worried about if she would be able to keep it to herself, to not react to whatever it was. It sounded so serious, so grim. “The way you’re acting about this reminds me of Solas,” she accused.

Varric winced and looked at Cassandra. Well, she was sharp. “Not surprising since it kind of concerns him. Put down the sword, Seeker, and let me explain, but this can’t go anywhere. He may have fucked up, but he’s like me, he’s trying to make things right again,” he said as he reached out for her weapon. He didn’t trust her with it. Her aim was too good and her fury was just as dangerous.

She narrowed her eyes at him as he cautiously reached for her sword. She let him take it from her, though a dangerous look crossed her features. “I don’t need a sword to kill someone,” she said in a low voice. She crossed her arms and squared her shoulders as she looked down at him. “Alright, so tell me what this big secret is,” she demanded. “Or would you prefer we not discuss it here?”

He looked around and thought about it for a moment. “Good point. Come on,” he said as he led the way to her room. Well, what she claimed was her room. It was a bedroll on a wooden floor above the blacksmith. Hardly a room, but it was just like her to give up something frivolous so that someone more deserving could have a bed all their own. He was quiet as he walked up the steps, the thoughts going through his mind as he finally reached the top and he moved to lean her sword against the wall. “So. What I found out in the other world. It was just a video online that had Chuckles in it. Supposedly it was after Corypheus had been defeated and all that. Turns out that he… is the reason why Corypheus has that elven orb. He might have, I don’t know, given it to him?”

Of all the things she’d been prepared to hear, that was not one of them. Betrayal and disbelief shot through her chest. “What?” she breathed, taking a step back. “What do you mean Solas gave him that orb? Why? How did Solas get it in the first place?” She was stunned. “None of this makes sense. Solas has been with us from the beginning. He started this? Why would he help us if that is true?” She could feel the beginning of a headache starting. “And you didn’t tell me! Were you planning on telling me at all?!”

“None of us were supposed to find out! You think that this was any easier for me to hear? I don’t know how he got the orb or why he thought it was a good idea to give it to that mad man in the first place. All I know is that he didn’t mean for any of this shit to happen and that he’s been trying to help us fix his mess from the start. That’s all I know! We can’t tell anyone about this, Seeker. Knowing this before we were supposed to find out. What if we end up destroying the whole world with this information?! Not too mention the sisters can’t talk about this because of an oath they made with him to keep it quiet. It’s not our place to do anything about this at all. Our hands are tied, Seeker.”

“Not our place? But that is why we are here! That is why the Inquisition exists! Because of all of this, because we are supposed to stop Corypheus! And now to find out that one of our own caused it? How can we just keep this quiet?” she countered. “And what do I care of some oath they made to a traitor?” She scowled at the way he stood between her and her sword. “I need to stab something,” she growled through clenched teeth. “I will stab him the next time I see him. He should have told us! Even if it was a mistake, if he is truly trying to right this wrong, there was no need for him to keep it a secret from us!”

“And what would have everyone done had they known that an elven mage was the start of all this? How many elves and mages would have needlessly died because of it? And who’s to say that we wouldn’t have killed him outright for the offense? Yeah, he fucked up, but he’s doing what he can to make it right. If he didn’t care, if he meant for all this to happen, why would he come here and help us in the first place?!” Varric ran his hands through his hair and backed up, making sure that she couldn’t get her sword from behind him, “Please, Cassandra. Trust me on this!”

She snorted at him, shaking her head as she looked down at her boots. He was right. How many others would have died if they’d known? Oh but it would kill her to not beat the life out of Solas every time she looked at him. “Fine. Fine!” she said and threw her hands up in the air. “I will not say anything. To anyone.” She sighed again, a heaviness settling in her heart as she looked at Varric. “I wish you would have told me sooner,” she said in a hurt tone. “That you would have told me because you trusted me, not because I accidentally found out and cornered you.”

“I trust you to do the right thing. But let’s face it, you aren’t exactly known for thinking first and acting second. And I mean that in the best way possible. We don’t need a lot of people with their thumbs in their pockets for this shit, but this. This is complicated,” he said and closed his eyes, “Like everything else in my damned life. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I should have gone to you first instead of them. I should have done a lot of things.”

Cassandra didn’t like the way this felt, like something between them had broken. Though she knew she could be hotheaded at times, she always thought she was a trustworthy person. But maybe others didn’t see her that way. That stung her pride. “You make me sound completely unreasonable,” she said. She needed time to think, to somehow work past this hurt. “Give me back my sword,” she said and held her hand out for it. At the look he gave her, she gave an impatient huff. “I’m not going to stab anyone! I… need time to think. And it’s best if I take it out on the dummies instead of you.”

Varric studied her for a moment before he nodded and handed her sword back to her. “Thanks, Cassandra,” he said quietly. So much weight was carried in that word and it made him feel sick that he had to do this.

She practically snatched it out of his hand, turning quickly to walk away from him before she did give in to the urge to stab someone. She felt she should say something, but really at that point, what else was left to say? “I’ll see you later,” she finally said and tromped down the stairs, the information buzzing in her brain and the dummies the only thing that was going to relieve her tension.

Varric sighed as he watched her go, knowing that it was probably the last civil conversation that they would hold and he cursed himself. That was probably the end of that relationship. “I need a drink,” he muttered as he headed down the stairs a moment later and made a beeline for the tavern.

* * *

 

Jennifer was going to pass out. That’s what it felt like anyway as she stood just outside of the rotunda, beating her head against the wall. This wasn’t going to go over well. How could they have just forgotten that Varric had found out about Solas? Granted, a childhood home that had been in the family for generations burning down with you inside of it would do that, it was besides the point. Still, she hadn’t died yet and there wasn’t much else to be done but give fair warning to the Dread Wolf. Hopefully Varric would be able to pacify Cassandra. 

Solas looked up from the papers he was going over and smiled when he saw Jennifer. He nearly scolded himself for the fluttery feeling in his stomach and the smile on his face. Normally, he was much more composed than this. Oh to hell with it all. Would it be so wrong to allow himself a little bit of happiness? He stepped around the desk and took her hand in his, pressing a kiss to the soft skin. But he caught the look in her eyes and he tipped his head slightly. She looked frightened. “What troubles you?” he asked softly, that protectiveness rising up in him again. If someone was giving her trouble, he would handle them.

Jennifer felt little butterflies go crazy in her stomach as his lips touched the back of her hand. Such a gentleman. She gave him a smile, or tried to and she looked over his concerned face, surprised to see the fierce look there. “It’s, ah… Well... You remember our oath that we made the first night here? Well, we forgot to tell you something and it slipped our mind because of everything that’s been going on as of late. But it’s Varric. In our world he saw the end scene of the game. He knows that you gave your orb to Corypheus.”

Solas felt as if a stone had dropped in his stomach. “What?” he asked, his grip tightening on her hand for a moment before he realized what he was doing and released her. He ran a hand over his head, his mind racing. He squeezed at the back of his neck, gritting his teeth. “Fenedhis,” he cursed. He looked at her again, seeing the fear in her eyes, the way she held herself. “And?” he asked expectantly. “What does he plan to do with this information?”

She pressed her lips together, studying his blue eyes before she clenched her fists together. She wanted to reach out to him, but she didn’t think that would be extremely welcomed at that moment. “Well, we had convinced him in our world to keep it quiet because he wasn’t supposed to find out about it until after you left the Inquisition after Corypheus had been defeated. But then Cassandra must have found out about it this morning. Or found that he was keeping something from her. He wants to tell her, he wanted us to tell her. To convince her to not do anything more.” She blinked away the tears that sprouted in her eyes. She didn’t know what she would do if they all suddenly came and demanded Solas’ head over the matter. “I am not going to let them get in the way of what you are trying to do. I swear it.”

If it were possible, his heart seemed to sink even lower. “Cassandra knows,” he deadpanned, then pinched the bridge of his nose, thinking about the Seeker. She was probably the last person in the Inquisition he wanted to know about this. He ran his hand down his face, squeezing at his chin for a moment. He could always run, to rework his plans, someplace far away where the Inquisition would never find him. It would be easy enough, even if Leliana tried to have him found. He really didn’t want to have to do that, though. Working here was so much easier, put him so much closer to Corypheus. And it let him keep an eye on the Inquisitor and the anchor. No, running would be a last resort. “They will not stop me,” he said quietly. “Though this could affect the way I hoped my plans would go.”

Jennifer swallowed and looked back at him, standing up straighter. “I’m not going to let them stop you. I know things have to play out the way that they are supposed to.” Though, she was really wishing that she had downloaded the last DLC Trespasser. It burned her to not know the full story behind everything. “I know Varric is going to do his best to convince Cassandra why it’s important to keep everything quiet. It’d be a danger to everything. What if the whole world crashes because of this. Knowing.” She shook her head and moved to sit down on the couch, holding her head in her hands. “But then, maybe it’s already changing. Maybe what we know isn’t worth shit anymore because we are here.”

It almost amused him that she thought she could singlehandedly stop the Inquisition, that she could protect him. That was something he wasn’t used to. He walked over to her and crouched down, reaching out to touch her chin, lifting her face. “It will be alright,” he said softly. “Obviously I would prefer if this were kept quiet. But if it is not, I will handle it accordingly. You need not worry.” He smiled softly and slid his hand up to cup her cheek, soothing his thumb over the smooth skin. “They cannot hurt us. Not me, not you. No matter what comes, it will all be alright.”

Jennifer leaned into his touch, he was surprising her once again. “You take bad news surprisingly well, Solas,” she said as she reached out and cupped his cheek, trailing her finger over his ear, “I just don’t want you to think that you have to do this on your own.” She winced, that sounded cheesy, even for her. She had to keep reminding herself that she wasn’t the Inquisitor, though, it didn’t make what she wanted to say to him any less true. “You aren’t alone in this any more. We can help you. Whatever it is that is your end goal. We can help.” 

He gave a soft chuckle and leaned in to kiss her. That she wanted to help him meant more than she would ever know. He broke the kiss, leaning his forehead against hers. “Thank you,” he whispered. He barely dared to believe that someone could know so much about him and still care for him. Still want to be with him. It was almost too good to be true. He leaned into her touch, savoring it. “Do not worry yourself anymore. If something comes of this, we will deal with it. Together,” he said, though he could not suppress his own worry. There was nothing for it but to bide his time, to see if Varric and Cassandra would cause problems or not. Getting them to agree to an oath such as the sisters made would be out of the question. He knew they would never do such a thing. If he had to run for it, then so be it.

Jennifer smiled at him. “Just don’t leave me behind. Whatever happens, you can explain it to me, even if you think I wouldn’t understand. I’m willing to listen and learn more than what I know. I want to experience this. Things are changing already and I can’t help but think that it all started with something smaller and now here we are. Bigger things on the horizon.” 

“I believe your coming here may change a great deal,” he agreed. “Let’s hope it is for the better.” He gave her another soft kiss, then pulled back and met her eyes. “Perhaps we should have a talk with them. If I can reassure Cassandra that I only intend to help, we may be able to control the situation.” A smile split his lips then. “But first, I believe you have other plans. It would not do to keep Dorian waiting. You are going shopping in Val Royeaux, are you not?”

She laughed and nodded. “I wanted to warn you first. Can’t have you getting blindsided while we were away. I think you would have been less than pleased with me if I had done that.” She sighed and rubbed the back of her own head. “Hopefully this will be a quick trip. Dorian says he knows exactly what dresses we simply have to wear,” she said and gave Solas an appreciative look, “I hope that you and Cassandra don’t kill each other while we are away. I would hate to find another dance partner.”

He chuckled at that. “I am not worried about Cassandra attacking me,” he said confidently. “But that does bring up another matter I wished to discuss with you.” He took her hand and smiled at her. “Would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the Winter Palace?” he asked. He thought he already knew her answer, but he still felt the slight flutter of nervousness in his stomach. And he wanted to make it official. It only seemed appropriate.

Jennifer smiled, her eyes lighting up and she nodded. Unable to stop herself, she gave a wink at Solas. “So, a human and an elven apostate in court. Are are definitely going to cause quite the scandal.”

He grinned at her. “I look forward to it.”


	12. Chapter 12

Lindsey was still in awe by the time they returned from Val Royeaux. “Dorian, I think you might’a gone overboard,” she laughed as she looked over the wagon, which was packed to the brim with packages. Though she and Jennifer had insisted that he didn’t need to, Dorian was adamant about the purchases he made. On top of dresses and shoes for the ball, he bought them a number of new things. From new cooking utensils to silk bed sheets, he made certain that they had everything he deemed “essential” to living as comfortably as possible in the south. 

She could hear Cullen barking orders at the troops and as she glanced over her shoulder, she caught sight of him. By the gods, he was sexy when he was all commanding like that. He looked like he felt better; there was a healthier color to his cheeks and his eyes didn’t have dark circles under them now. The corners of her mouth twitched in a smile and she turned back to the wagon, reaching for a crate of spices. 

“He just wants us to cook fancier food for him,” she muttered to Jennifer, though she said it loud enough for Dorian to hear. She snickered and shot him a wink. She handed off the crate to one of the servants who had come to help, then reached for the garment box containing her dress. “Hello, gorgeous,” she purred affectionately. She grabbed up the bags of clothes and new bedding and hooked them over her arms, then placed the shoe boxes on top of the one containing her dress and picked it up. “Oh jeezus,” she gasped as she struggled to hold it all at once. “I think I got it,” she said, her voice slightly strained as she peered around the boxes, trying to see where she was going so she could carry it all to her room. She could hear her sister snickering and would’ve flipped her off if she’d had a free hand. She’d only made it a short way across the yard when her steps faltered and the shoe boxes began to slip. “Oh shit. Shit shit shit,” she said quickly as she tried to regain her balance and stop the boxes from toppling to the ground.

Cullen was there in a second as he heard the commotion and saw the trouble. He ran over and helped to catch Lindsey in his arm while the other hand stopped the boxes from sliding out of her grip. He laughed warmly. “My Lady Lindsey. You should be more careful,” he said as he looked down at her, blinking as he suddenly realized how closely he had pulled her to him in an effort to stop her fall. “Ah,” he muttered as a heated blush spread across his nose. “That is… are you alright?” he asked as he righted her, pointedly ignoring the smirks from Dorian and the others.

“Oh! Cullen… thank you,” she said, shifting the boxes around to try to see him. “I’m good now. We just got back from Val Royeaux. Dorian, ah, decided to spoil us a bit.” Her heart raced at the feel of his arm around her. And, oh, she loved to see that blush on his face. It made her want to do all sorts of things just to make him blush. A shiver raced up her spine and she managed a smile for him. “I got my dress,” she said, nodding at the large box in her hands.

Cullen peered down at her. “Here, allow me, my lady,” he said as he took a few of the boxes from her and got a better look at the plain box that supposedly held her dress. “You got it from Val Royeaux? Dare do I ask if it comes with any, ah, birds that need tying to it? I have to admit Orlesian fashion is a tad bit frightening,” he said and wondered if she would be dressed like everyone else at the ball, “But it has to be better than the uniforms Josephine insists we wear.”

“It is leagues better than what we are being forced to wear,” Dorian said as he carried a few boxes of his own. “But don’t you worry about your lady love there, I have excellent taste. I wish I could say she would steal the show, but we all know that I am going to be holding everyone’s attention. One way or another,” he said with a smirk.

Lindsey shot Dorian a look, her face turning almost as red as her hair from him calling her Cullen’s “lady love.” She shook her head at him, then turned to head towards her room so she could put her things away. “So silly,” she muttered. “But he’s right. This is a lot better than any of the Orlesian dresses I’ve seen. And no, there’s no birds.” She almost snickered at the thought. “I heard about the fashion where they tied birds to their hair. Honestly, who thought that was a good idea? I mean, if they used just feathers or something,  maybe  that would be okay. But real birds?” She made a face, wrinkling her nose. “I think I like my hair without bird shit in it, thank you very much.”

Cullen laughed at that, rich and loud before he caught himself and coughed to cover it up. “Ah, that is... Do you require any assistance to get to your rooms? I would shudder to think that you would have fallen and been crushed under so many boxes,” he said as he took a few more from her and balanced them in his arms, pointedly ignoring Dorian and Jennifer who were laughing like it was going out of style.

“Yes, please,” she answered quickly and walked a little faster towards her room. “Let’s get away from the hyenas over there,” she said, jerking her head back towards Dorian and her sister. “Thank you for helping. It would be just my luck to trip and end up dropping all of this in a big puddle of mud. I don’t think Dorian would ever let me hear the end of it.”

“Remember dear!” Dorian called after the retreating couple, “Those silk sheets are for the dear Commander’s bed, not yours! Be sure to test them out!”

She nearly tripped over her own feet again. “Ughhhh,” she groaned, closing her eyes and tilting her face towards the sky for a moment. She gave Cullen a sheepish look the next moment. “I’m sorry. I’ll kick him for that, the first opportunity I get,” she said, though the idea of trying out the sheets on Cullen’s bed made a heat pool low in her belly and she had to swallow hard to keep herself from whimpering. 

Cullen couldn’t stop the heat from spreading across his cheeks and he wished everything in that moment for a pile of snow he could bury his head in. “It is, ah no trouble. I trust that the rest of your trip went well? You all seem to be in excellent spirits,” he said, “I have to say, it was rather quiet with all of you out on your trip. Dare I say if a little boring? The cooks lamented that you were not present to share your recipes.”

Her heart skipped. Did he miss her while she was gone? She smiled again, a giddy feeling in her chest. “It was fun,” she said. “Being in Val Royeaux in person is a far sight different than the game. But I like the shops. And we made fun of people while we ate lunch, so you know, all in all I’d say it was a good trip.” She nudged the door to her room open with her hip, then sighed in relief as she set the boxes on her bed. “I did miss it here, though. I’m already used to being here.” She chewed her lip, wondering if it would be too bold. Ah, fuck it. “I missed seeing you.”

Cullen felt his face blush yet again but he could see the nervousness in her eyes that mirrored his own and he moved to set down the boxes he carried on her desk before he turned to her and smiled softly, swallowing the anxiety he felt. “I missed you as well,” he said as he rubbed at the back of his neck, “Would you, ah, care to go for a walk around the battlements? I’d like to hear more about what you did on your trip and I have some time before the afternoon drills.”

She thought her heart might jump out of her chest, remembering when he and her Inquisitor had gone for a walk on the battlements. That was where he’d first kissed her. She nodded, hopefully not too eagerly. “I’d love to,” she said and followed him back out of her room. She walked close to his side, wondering what he would do if she grabbed his hand. Or his butt. She had to bite her lips to keep from giggling. “Are you feeling alright? You look like you’re feeling better. I was worried about you,” she said.

He smiled at her, resting a hand on the hilt of his sword as they walked. The cool air was a blessing on the fevered skin of his face. “Much better, thank you. While you were away, the kitchen staff sent me meals. On your orders, I’m told. They have done wonders for my energy and I have to admit, it has been easier. My episodes have been getting better. But they come and go, like I said. Thankfully, they have been manageable.” 

“Good,” she said, the corner of her mouth twitching in a smile. Oh, why was she being so shy and silly, acting like some third-grader with a crush? Before she could lose her nerve, she reached over and slipped her hand into his. When he twined their fingers together, a strange thing happened. Instead of the giddy, silly squee feeling she usually got, a warmth settled into her chest and she felt surprisingly comfortable with him. And though she hadn’t expected it, she decided not to question it. “You should’ve seen Dorian in Val Royeaux, taking us shopping. He was as excited as a fat kid in a candy store,” she said with a laugh. “Of course, we were all kind of like that in this one shop. They had all sorts of spices and cookware. We went a little nuts. You should’ve seen it. This world has more than I expected it to. Those copper pots were beautiful! I…” She stopped herself. “Sorry, this is probably boring to you.”

Cullen was barely able to keep up with what she was saying, the warmth of her hand in his was incredibly distracting and he couldn’t stop the little smile that curled at the edge of his lips as he let his fingers tighten around her own. “No, please. Continue. Dorian bought you more cookware? I cannot wait to see what you and your sister make of it,” he said as he looked to her, “I’m sure it will be delicious. Your meals have been a welcome reprieve.”

Her pride swelled a bit at his compliment. “I’m excited, too. I’ve got a bunch of ideas I want to try. Things from back home. And maybe some of the dishes here, just put my own spin on them. Jen always has good ideas, too. I think she’s toying with the idea of making soaps and stuff here. She was always good at that back home,” she said as they climbed the stairs. She barely paid attention to where they were going until they were there. “Oh piss,” she breathed and automatically clung to his arm as she realized how high they were. The stone was solid beneath her feet, but it did little to calm her. So high up in the mountains, and then to be on top of a wall there? She felt her breath stolen away, and not in a good way. 

Cullen chuckled at her reaction to the view. “Not a fan of heights I take it?” he asked as he stepped a little closer to her, wondering if he was being too bold. His sister always reminded him the importance of being a gentleman. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. I rather like coming out up here.” He closed his eyes. “Makes me feel as if I’m the only one around for miles. Somedays, that’s a blessing.” 

The serene look on his face made her smile, to see him without worry if even for a moment. She slid her arms around his waist, holding onto him as she tried to ignore the view that made her dizzy. Oh, now that was much better. He was warm and solid against her and it made her feel safe. She looked up at him, a soft smile on her lips when he turned to look at her. She could get lost in those warm brown eyes. “I feel like I’m falling,” she murmured softly.

His heart was pounding so hard, he was sure it was going to burst out of his chest. He leaned his head down, their noses brushing together as he searched her eyes. “I hope I’m not… being too forward,” he said, their breath mingling together as they stood there. He pressed their foreheads together and he sighed out against her as he drew her closer to him. “I never thought that I would find someone like you here.”

Lindsey thought her knees might give out. A nervous laugh escaped her. “I never thought I would be here,” she answered. She lifted one hand to cup his cheek, his stubble scratching against her palm. She couldn’t believe this was happening. But even more unbelievable was how it all suddenly felt so comfortable. So right. This wasn’t just some fangirl obsession anymore. It felt like the beginning of something real. Before she could over think it, second guess herself, she closed the space between them and captured his lips with her own.

Cullen inhaled sharply as her lips pressed against his own and he knew what she said was true. He felt like he was falling. He sighed against her and drew her in close, wrapping his arms around her shoulders as if he could shield her from the cold, the world, everything. His mind went blissfully blank the next moment and all that he knew was her and her softness against him. “Lindsey,” he sighed, running his thumbs over her shoulders. 

She tightened her arms around his waist as the rest of the world seemed to melt away. There was nothing but him, the soft sound of his voice, the feel of his warm firm lips against her own. She tipped her head slightly, inviting him to deepen the kiss, and a soft moan escaped her as he did. She let her tongue tangle with his, kissing him slowly, deliberately, relishing every moment. He tasted sweet, better than anything she’d ever experienced before. By the gods, he was a good kisser. “Wow,” she breathed as their lips finally parted. 

Cullen smiled against her as they parted, his heart pounding and he reached up to brush his thumb against her cheek. “That was perfect,” he said softly against her before he sighed and pulled away from her gently as he continued to look down at her. “I mean, was it? Was it good?” he asked, feeling self conscious and flustered. He didn’t want to assume for her.

She giggled. He was so adorable when he was uncertain of himself. “That was amazing,” she said honestly. She slid her hand up the side of his neck, letting her fingers slip through his hair. It was probably the best kiss she’d ever experienced, but she didn’t know if telling him that would be overkill. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to kiss you,” she admitted quietly.

He felt his face head up at that, a warmth spreading around his heart. “You have?” he asked before he laughed softly, “You have me at a disadvantage, that you’ve known me for so long yet I have barely begun to get to know you.” He brushed a strand of her red hair behind her ear. “If it’s alright with you, I’d like to close that gap,” he said softly as he searched her eyes, “Would you like to come by later for dinner? You can tell me all about your trip and maybe I can start to learn about you?”

She shivered as his fingertips brushed her ear. “I’d like that,” she said with a small nod. “I’ll make something for just the two of us and bring it to your office.” Her heart felt like it was going to burst. She didn’t want to part from him, but a nagging in the back of her mind reminded her that she was supposed to go with her sister to meet with Solas in a little bit. Nerves made her stomach twist at the thought, but she pushed them away. “I should let you get back to work,” she said and leaned in to kiss his cheek. “See you this evening?”

He smiled at that and nodded, taking up her hand and leaning over it so he could press a soft kiss to her knuckles. “I look forward to it, my lady,” he said as he stood up straight again, a smile curling the corners of his lips as he bowed his head to her and turned to head back down to the troops. The day couldn't end fast enough.


	13. Chapter 13

Solas paced impatiently in the war room, his hands clasped behind his back. It had only been a few days since Jennifer had left for Val Royeaux, yet he found himself anxiously awaiting her return. Nothing had yet come from Varric’s and Cassandra’s knowledge of him, for which he was grateful, yet he felt that a conversation still needed to be had. It surprised him, though, to find that he was more concerned about Jennifer and if she would return safely from her trip. He almost wished he’d gone with her. But then the thought of shopping with Dorian flitted through his mind and he shuddered. 

He heard the door open and he turned quickly, feeling relief settle in him when he saw Jennifer there. He crossed the room quickly and took her hands in his, pressing a kiss to her lips. “How was your trip?” he asked, raising his hand to thread his fingers through her dark hair.

Jennifer smiled against him, letting her fingers curl in his own and smiled at him when he pulled back. “Just lovely. Dorian is scary when it comes to shopping. He’s worse than some women I know, but his taste is impeccable,” she said as she tilted her head at the elf, “What about you? How were things here while we were gone? Did Cassandra try to stab you?” 

He chuckled at that. “No, thankfully. I have seen little of her the past few days. She has been spending more time than usual with her training dummies. She has been informed of our meeting, however, and agreed to come.” He looked down at their hands and shook his head. “It seems so unnecessary now that I made you take that oath when there were others who already knew. I have put you in danger for it when there was no need.” He felt his heart sink. In his desperation to keep his secret, he’d once again made a hasty decision without thinking of the consequences. He growled and turned from her, running a hand over his face. “When will I stop making such foolish decisions?” he muttered to himself. When would he stop putting other’s lives in danger?

“Stop that. You didn’t know did you?” Jennifer said, “And I’m so tired of seeing you beat yourself up over things you had little control over. We should have remembered that Varric knew in the first place. It’s our fault.” She reached out to turn him back to her so she could see his eyes. “Lindsey and I are not going to break our oath to you. It’s going to be alright. You’ll see,” she said as she brushed her thumb over the dimple in his chin, smiling at him. 

A small, sad smile pulled at his lips as he leaned into her touch. “Such an optimist,” he said. It was refreshing to be around someone with such a positive outlook. Especially when he had none. But somehow she made him want to believe. To believe that things working out right was actually a possibility. He wrapped her up in his arms and kissed her slowly, pulling her body against his. Even if the world went to shit, at least he had this.

Jennifer sighed into his kiss and leaned into him as he pulled her close. His kisses were passionate and always all encompassing. She had a feeling she was spoiled for all others now. She could remember the night back in her world where they had all played Spin the Bottle. They couldn’t even begin to touch Solas. Maybe it was because she wanted it more, maybe there was a desperation that was in his actions that simply made her crave him. She wasn’t sure. She hummed against him, breathing him in. He smelled of books and elfroot; it was a smell she was becoming addicted to.

He savored the feel of her soft lips against his, the spicy sweet taste of her mouth, her curves pressed up against him. He wondered wildly if he had to leave if she would come with him. The thought was too much and he pushed it aside, holding her tighter, kissing her with more urgency. It was as if he couldn’t get enough of her, like he was afraid of her slipping away from him, just as everything else in his life seemed to do. He tangled his fingers in her hair, leaning her back slightly as he kissed her. Oh to hell with the meeting, he could spend the whole afternoon like this with her.

“Oops! I think we may have interrupted something, Varric,” Lindsey teased as she and the dwarf entered the war room. She snickered as Solas pulled away from Jennifer, and Jen flipped her off. “Love youuuu, sis,” she grinned. Although she did feel a little bad for interrupting them. She glanced around, noting the absence of the Seeker. “No Cassandra yet?” She frowned when Solas shook his head. “I’m sure she’ll be here soon.” She cast a glance at Varric, wondering how things had gone between him and Cass. She hadn’t had a chance to ask him since she’d got back from Val Royeaux.

Varric shook his head. “Don’t look at me. I’ve barely seen her since she found out. Fairly sure she doesn’t want anything to do with me again. Ever,” he said and rubbed at his face before he looked over at Solas, really looking at him for the first time since they had gotten back from the other world. “So. This isn’t awkward at all,” he muttered as he crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the elf and Jennifer.   

Solas’s annoyance at being interrupted was quickly replaced by awkwardness, just as Varric said. It was tangible in the air. He knew then that he’d made the right decision to have this conversation. If they were to continue to work side by side, this had to be cleared up. “I apologize for the uncomfortable situation,” he said sincerely. “I hope that when this is over, you and Cassandra both will understand.”

As if on cue, Cassandra entered the war room, closing the door loudly behind her. She looked around at all of them, feeling betrayal well up in her all over again. All of them had kept this secret from her. Every single one of them. She snorted and moved to lean against the wall next to the door, crossing her arms over her chest. It was better she kept her distance. She might end up strangling one of them if she didn’t. She leveled her gaze on Solas. “So all of this is your fault.”

He inwardly cringed at her word, but didn’t let it show outwardly. Instead, he squared his shoulders and clasped his hands behind his back again. “Yes,” he said. “Though it was not intentional. My plan was for Corypheus to unlock the orb somewhere far away, where it would kill him and him alone. He had other plans.” He sighed, his shoulders dropping just a fraction. “When I realized my mistake, I stayed to help. It is my wish to fix the wrongs I caused. I could not do that if I were not part of the Inquisition.” 

“You should have told me!” Cassandra shot back at him. “I allowed you to join us before the Inquisition was even formed. I believed what you told me. I trusted you! How much closer could we be to stopping Corypheus if we had known this all along?”

“Certainly no closer than we are now,” he answered darkly. “Had I told you from the beginning, you most certainly would not have let me help, let me try to fix the problems I caused. And then where would you be? I kept the mark from killing the Inquisitor. I led you to Skyhold when you had nowhere else to go. Have I done anything to make you think I have nothing but the best of intentions for everyone involved?” He had to clasp his hands behind his back again. Now  he  wanted to shake  her. 

He had a point, she realized. But that didn’t help her to feel any better about being kept in the dark by the others. Her heart ached to see Varric there. She hadn’t spoken to him since their argument. She’d barely seen him at all. Which was her own doing, of course, but that didn’t make it any easier. She felt like a fool, blissfully unaware of the situation while those she trusted hid the truth from her. She suddenly felt like the odd man out. “And the rest of you were just perfectly content to keep this to yourselves? Why am I suddenly the untrustworthy one?”

Jennifer frowned, looking around the group before she looked at Cassandra with a worried look on her face. “It’s not that we don’t trust you, it’s that you are one to act first instead of hearing us out. You would have taken a sword to Solas or thrown him into the dungeons. He has to stay and help the Inquisition. He is needed to defeat Corypheus. To prevent the breach and tears around the world from getting worse. The mark is still a danger to the Inquisitor and is part of the reason why he so crucial to the Inquisition’s survival.”

“Have I attacked him yet? Is he locked away in the dungeon now? No. And I have had ample time to do so while you and your sister were shopping in Val Royeaux with Dorian,” Cassandra snapped. Though it had taken a great deal of self-restraint not to do so. “If you had approached me before, just as you are now, what makes you think I could not have handled this information?”

Solas felt a swell of affection for Jennifer, defending him the way she did. “You are right, Cassandra,” he said in a kinder tone. “It was my intention for no one to discover the truth. At least not until I could make it right. In light of what has happened here, however, it would have been better to pull you aside and discuss it with you instead of you stumbling upon it by accident. It is my understanding that Varric was sworn to secrecy by Jennifer and Lindsey. And in turn, I made them swear to me. He did not intentionally deceive you.”

“Yeah, but I trust them over the Seeker who has done nothing but give everything to this Inquisition. I should have gone to her,” Varric stopped midsentence and looked to Cassandra, “I should have gone to you first. I’m sorry that I didn’t. Just another shit thing for me to add to my list of fuck ups.” He muttered, “We all could have handled it better, but we are all doing what we can to make sure that this world doesn’t go to hell. Chuckles is already helping the Inquisition to bring down Corypheus. He’s punishing himself to make up for his actions. What more could we demand of him?”

Cassandra frowned, thinking it over. “You are right,” she finally said. She looked to the elf, meeting his eyes. “It is obvious you are trying to help, Solas. I will not speak a word of this to anyone. Unless, of course, I find that you are working behind our backs. If you betray this Inquisition…” She left the threat hanging in the air.

Solas felt a relief in his chest. “I will do no such thing, Seeker Cassandra,” he promised with a slight bow. “You have my thanks. And my gratitude.” He turned to Varric, who he expected was even more put out with the situation than Cassandra. “I must beg your forgiveness, Varric. I know the situation has caused you undue frustration. But I must ask you to keep it silent as well.”

Varric let out a heavy sigh. “Story of my life. More secrets. I never thought I’d say it, but I really am sick of the lies.” He thought it over and he realized he meant it and it had a lot more to do with just this particular situation. He was ready to move on and he meant it. “I won’t say a word,” he said quietly and turned on his heel, “But don’t tell me any more. I’m at my limit.”

Solas nodded his head gratefully. Could it really be so simple? He wasn’t sure that he trusted them completely, but at the moment he had no other option. If he suggested making an oath with them as he had the sisters, the likelihood of being stabbed by Cassandra seemed far greater. He watched Varric leave, then looked to Cassandra. “While my advice may not be welcome, it would be a shame to throw away what you have with Master Tethras over this incident.”

“You’re right,” she said dangerously, “Your advice is unwelcome.” She pushed herself away from the wall and left without another word, slamming the door behind her.

Solas sighed. He would have to be very careful about what he did from here on out. If he made one misstep, he was certain that Cassandra would be all over him. He turned to Jennifer, offering her his hand and pulling her close. “Thank you,” he murmured in her ear. “I do not know if I could have faced them without your support.” He pulled back and brushed a few strands of hair from her face. “Come. Let us get you settled in. I’m certain you need to rest after your long trip.” 

Lindsey watched as her sister left with Solas, the two of them speaking so softly that she couldn’t hear them. She looked around the empty war room as the door closed. She threw her hands up in the air. “Why the hell was I even here?!”


	14. Chapter 14

Cassandra was torn. She understood why Varric had kept the secret, it was obvious the backlash a thing like this could cause. But at the same time, she was still hurt that Varric hadn’t trusted her. Staying away from him hurt, and it seemed the longer they went without speaking, the bigger the rift between them grew. If she didn’t get over this, she would soon lose him for good. And that thought made her heart ache even worse than the thought of him not trusting her. No, she had to make this right.

She went to his room and knocked, but there was no answer. She peeked in and saw that it was empty. She gave a huff. “Damn it,” she muttered and turned back the way she’d come, thinking perhaps he was at his table by the fire in the Great Hall. She chewed the inside corner of her mouth as she walked, looking down at her boots, her arms crossed. She was so lost in thought of how to handle this that she didn’t even see Varric coming her way until she literally tripped over him. “Varric!” she cried as she stumbled backwards. “I… I am sorry. I didn’t see you.”

Varric reached out, steadying Cassandra before he could stop himself, both of them tumbling to the wall, but he twisted their bodies in a way that he took the brunt of the hit. He looked up at her for a moment before he let go of her as if he had been burned. He knew she was still furious with him and she had every right to be. “Seeker,” he started, wanting to say more, but he was so unsure where they stood in that moment. 

The way he pulled back from her so suddenly was hurtful. This was her fault, damn her temper. “Varric,” she said carefully. She didn’t know what to say, how to make things right between them again. She looked down at her nails, picking at them for a minute. “I was hoping that perhaps we could talk,” she said uncertainly. She looked up at him, meeting his eyes. “But if you are busy, I can come back another time.”

Varric looked at her carefully for a moment, but he nodded and gestured back towards his room. “Not busy, but I have to send off a letter. Maybe you can proofread it for me,” he said quietly as he opened the door to his room. He left it open for her and went over to his desk and grabbed up a piece of parchment, not bothering to sit down as he leaned over and started writing, quickly, movements jerky. It didn’t take much, just a little ink here and there and it was done. He blew on the parchment, waving it near the fire to dry before he handed it to Cassandra. “What do you think?”

She raised an eyebrow as she cautiously reached out and took the paper from him, unsure of what to expect. She looked down at it, her eyes widening.

__ Bianca,   
It’s over.   
Varric

“Varric,” she breathed, looking up at him in disbelief. Her heart raced, to think that he really was ready to end that part of his life. And that meant he still wanted to continue their relationship, didn’t it? A knot formed in her throat for being so cold to him. She still cared for him. Deeply. She didn’t want to lose him now. “Are… are you certain you want to send this?”

“Am I certain? Yeah, I’m certain. After that bullshit we just went through, I don’t want any more of that ever. No more lies, no more secrets. No more,” he said as he took the letter back from her so he could fold it and seal it into an envelope. He held red wax to a candle and dripped it on the envelope before he pressed his signet ring into the cooling wax. “I don’t want to be left wondering if I’m going to be left in the dark when there is a chance that the light’s always going to be on here. That is, if I haven’t fucked things up already.” He looked over at her, “You have every right to take me up onto the battlements and throw me over. You asked me not to lie to you again and I did just that. You deserve better than me.”

She bit her lips and shook her head. “I understand now why you did what you did. I have thought long and hard about it over these past days. If I were in your position, if I had been asked to keep Solas’ secret, I might have very well done the same thing.” She hated this. She just wanted them to go back to the way they had been before she found out about it all. “I should not have been so angry with you. I… my feelings were hurt. And I behaved childishly. Can you forgive me?” she asked in a vulnerable tone, almost shrinking in on herself. 

“Shit, Seeker, you don’t need to apologize. You were doing what you thought was best. And you know? Someone needs to be like that. Keeps us all grounded and shit.” He ran a hand through his hair and pulled out the hair tie. “I just… I’m sorry it fucked up what we had. I still...” He trialed off and closed his eyes a moment before he looked over at her. She was a visage of beauty, anger and power all rolled into an amazing woman. “Can you forgive a foolish dwarf?”

A tiny smile pulled at her lips and she nodded, taking a cautious step closer to him. “I am sorry for all of this,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She felt frightened, as if the wrong move or word could break them, could break what they had. “Varric, I want to go back to the way we were before this happened.” She swallowed harshly and slowly reached out to gently run her fingers through his hair. “I want to put this behind us, like it never happened. Please?”

He wouldn’t admit to the strangled noise that came out of his throat as he leaned into her touch, stepping forward and enveloping the Seeker into his arms. “Maker, please Cassandra. Can we just pretend that we don’t know it at all? Shit. This is getting too complicated. I just want the world to be saved, black and white, simple as that. Of course everything has to be fucked up and weird. It’s the damn tragedy that’s my life,” he muttered against her as he looked up to her, reaching up and curling his fingers around her wrist, “I don’t want to lose this when it’s just starting.”

“I don’t either,” she said, leaning forward to touch her forehead to his. She had to close her eyes against the happy, relieved tears that burned. “Varric, I’m so sorry,” she whispered and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, burying her face into his shoulder. “Let’s pretend we don’t know anything,” she murmured, hugging him tightly. She missed this, the feel of his strong arms around her, the scent of his skin. To think that she’d almost lost it because of Solas made her stomach turn. But she didn’t want to think about the elf anymore. All she cared about was Varric. She held onto him for a long minute, but it wasn’t enough. She had to heal this, to fix whatever it was between them. She turned her face, pressing soft, cautious kisses across his cheek. His stubble scraped at her lips until she felt the warm softness of his lips. A quiet noise escaped her, practically begging him to reciprocate.

Varric sighed against her as she kissed at him in an almost desperate way that mirrored his own feelings on the matter. He closed his eyes as he held her, breathing in the scent of her as he slid his arms more securely around her waist as he tilted his head so he could deepen the kiss. “Seeker,” he breathed against her, “I missed you. Won’t you come back? Let me make it up to you.” He pulled back to cup her cheek, his thumb brushing against the scar on her cheekbone. “One of those terrible romantic nights you are so fond of in my horrible books. Wine, dinner, roses on the bed,” he listed off.

She gave a slight laugh as a wide grin split her face. “Yes,” she nodded. She felt so relieved, that they were able to save this. “But it does not have to be tonight. I do not think I can wait until night. All I want is to be here, with you. Just to know that we are alright. That we can be the way we were before.” She leaned into his touch, cherishing the feel of his rough hand against her cheek. She turned her face slightly and pressed a long kiss to his palm. “Please?” she asked as she nuzzled his hand.

He gave a light chuckle at that and closed his eyes for a moment at the feel of her face nuzzling his hand and he let his smile grow across his face before he tilted her head towards him again before he devoured her lips in a desperate kiss. By the Maker he had missed this, missed her. She had avoided him since the day he told her the truth, but now. He didn’t want to fuck this up. He wanted to commit to it, to them. To show her that he was really serious about this. He carefully backed her up towards his bed, knowing the moment when the back of her legs hit his mattress, he lowered her down to the bed before he followed her on top. He moved downwards, pressing hot kisses along the line of her neck, tugging at the armor she wore, “I think we’re both a bit overdressed for this, Seeker.”

Oh by the Maker, he knew her too well. The way he kissed at her neck, taking charge like this; it made her absolutely melt beneath him. “Yes,” she breathed and worked at the buckles of her armor, quickly shirking it off and letting it clatter to the floor. She watched hungrily as he began to strip away his own clothing, revealing himself to her. It was only a moment later when they were both bare and she reached for him, pulling him down on top of her again. She kissed at his shoulder as he resumed kissing her neck and for a moment she thought she might sob in relief and happiness. She yanked the tie from his hair and tangled her fingers in the silky strands, her teeth grazing his skin. “Varric,” she moaned as she wrapped her other arm around him.

He chuckled against her as he slid an arm beneath her as he smiled against her skin. “You really have a thing for my hair, don’t you? I’ll admit, I’m surprised. Most people go for the chest hair,” he said warmly as he nuzzled down the valley between her breasts. 

She threw her head back with a gasp as his chin scratched the sensitive skin of her chest. “I like  all  of it,” she purred. She squirmed beneath him, moaning softly as he covered her with kisses. And to emphasize her point, she ran her hand down his chest, raking her nails through the hair there, and pinched his nipple teasingly.

Varric hissed out, his back arching as she teased him and he couldn’t stop the groan of pleasure that escaped his lips and he smiled at her, giving her a knowing shake of his head before he leaned down and nuzzled her breast, nosing the little rosy nipple until it hardened beneath him and he licked it carefully before he sealed his lips over her. His hands skimmed down the taut skin of her toned body and he held her close, as if she would slip away if he let go.

He pulled back slowly, sitting back on her hips as he looked at her. He didn’t deserve her. He really didn’t. “I don’t want to fuck this up with you, Cassandra.” He managed a sad laugh. “Though, I know I’ve done a bang up job so far,” he murmured before he leaned down and kissed her slowly, sweetly. What would it be like to let himself love her. To give himself over fully and get fully in return? When he didn’t have to… “Fuck. I’m thinking too much.”

That was so like him. To have his mind all over the place instead of just right where they were. “Do you want to make up or not?” she asked in a deadpan, though she meant for it to be teasing. She looked up at him as he straddled her hips and she ran an affectionate hand up his thigh. A sigh escaped her. “Is there something else on your mind?” she asked, tipping her head as she looked up at him. She had to stop herself from whining. He looked so good, and her heart hurt to know that they had been so close to ending their relationship. The emotional and physical needs were all mashed up together, tangled so much that she couldn’t separate one from the other. She reached for his hand and brought it to her lips, slowly kissing his fingers as she looked up at him.

He felt his heart melting as he watched her for a moment, kissing at his fingers and he smiled at that. He let his hand move to cup her cheek, brushing his thumb over her lips as she kissed at him. “Nothing should be on my mind except you.” He reached out and mimicked her, drawing her hand up to his lips. He turned his face into her palm and sighed out, letting a weight lift from his chest. “Later. We can talk later,” he breathed and he lowered his hand, watching it as he skimmed over her body, down low to the apex of her thighs to find the jewel hidden in the coarse curls there. “Let me just forget myself in you for a while,” he murmured as he scooted back off of her and settled himself down between her legs before he nuzzled at her sex.

Cassandra let out a sharp gasp, but bent her knees to give him better access to her body. Goosebumps erupted over her skin as she felt the softness of his lips against her, the warm caress of his tongue on her clit. “Oh Maker,” she breathed and reached between her legs to slip her fingers into his hair. She bit her lip and moaned softly, ever so slightly writhing her hips as he licked and sucked at her body. “So good, Varric,” she murmured.

He smiled against her as he drank down her body, his arms curling around her thighs as he took his time. His heart was heavy as he worked to bring her as much pleasure as he could, putting his silver tongue to good use. He was slow and deliberate in his actions, reacting to her own body, every thrust, every whimper and moan. His jaw ached by the time he pulled back, leaning his head against her thigh as he gazed up at her, panting slightly. He looked back down at her glistening center and reached with one hand, watching as he slid a finger along the folds, moaning softly at the heat and slickness there. She was beautiful, almost like a rose that was opening in the morning, still covered with dew. Ugh. Maker’s breath, no wonder he was so bad at writing romance novels. 

A long moan escaped her as his fingers teased at her lips, her sex hot and throbbing already. Her back arched off the bed as he slowly pressed a finger into her. She clenched around him, trying to keep her hips from bucking up and failing miserably. Oh, he was such a tease. Her breath came in short, harsh gasps as he too-slowly worked his finger in and out of her. And when he crooked his finger, stars burst before her eyes. She clawed at the bedsheets, her toes curling, and a cry escaped her. It was so good, yet at the same time it wasn’t quite enough. Damn him for knowing just how to wind her up, to tease her exactly the right way. “Varric,” she pleaded, her hips shifting on the bed, trying to get just the right amount of friction against those sensitive spots. “Varric!”

He smiled against her leg before he finally pulled his finger back, licking off the essence there before he moved to sit up between her legs, licking her hips up so that the tip of his cock pressed against her entrance. He had missed her these past few days and that was saying a lot since he had been in a long distance relationship for the better part of two decades. He reached out and cupped her neck as he pressed into her, sighing out as her tight heat squeezed him so perfectly. “Just like that, Cassandra,” he said in a low voice as he became fully seated inside of her, “Just like that.”

Her breath was stolen away as he filled her, his eyes locked with her own. She gave him a nod and pressed her body up against him, taking him deeply into her. The slow, deliberate pace made a shiver race down her spine. She curled her fingers around his shoulders as she moved with him, savoring every slow pulse of pleasure that washed over her. It made her heart warm, soothing the hurt and the worry and the guilt she’d felt the past few days. Never again. She would never again let any argument keep them apart like that. She hooked one leg over his hip, pulling him tighter against her. She cupped his cheek, seeing the intense look in his eyes, and dragged her thumb across his cheekbone. “I could make love to you all night,” she said softly.

How those simple words stole his breath, he wasn’t sure, but he didn’t care. He carefully settled himself over her, their bodies pressed together and he just laid there as he gently rocked his hips into her embrace, kissing her as if he had all the time in the world. It wasn’t even about the pleasure. It was the companionship he felt, the comforting ache that settled into his chest, the fullness of it. It nearly brought tears to his eyes. “So could I, Cassandra,” he breathed against her lips, slipping his tongue in alongside hers and drinking her down, “We should just hide out here. I’ll write you horrible romance novels and you can keep me honest.”

She squeezed around his hard length as if trying to meld their bodies into one. “That sounds wonderful,” she said softly as she wrapped her arms around him, holding him close as they slowly rocked together. It was healing, comforting, loving. And she couldn’t get enough of him. She kissed him back, sucking gently at his tongue, letting her own curl around his as a contented sigh escaped her. It was so romantic, the slow way they made love to each other, the way he held her as their bodies joined. She thought her chest might burst from so much affection. “I will hide in here with you, if you want me to,” she whispered, a soft cry slipping past her lips as his cock pressed firmly against a sensitive spot deep within her. “Just like this. For as long as you wish it.”

Varric bit his lip so hard he tasted blood, nearly sobbing out at the vision she painted. He sighed against her as he gave himself over to that, letting nothing else fill his mind and he smiled against her, groaning against her as he finally picked up the pace, “Shit, Seeker. If you say that, keep saying that in that voice of yours. I’m going to come. I don’t…” He shook his head as he turned his face into her neck, “I don’t want this to end.” He breathed against her as he sucked on her sweet flesh. He snapped his hips forward, desperate to come and to bring her with him, to hear her shouts of ecstasy as he did. To know he was able to spin her mindless pleasure as well. “Come with me,” he pleaded, “Please, Cassandra.” 

She cried out again as he thrust faster into her, making her throb and ache in the most perfect way. “Oh Maker, yes, please!” she answered and bucked up to meet his thrusts. His firm, thick cock drove deeply into her, the only sounds in the room their ragged breathing and the slick sounds of their bodies meeting. She clenched around him, feeling her orgasm fast approaching. “Yes, Varric! YES!” she cried as pure bliss took her, her body tightening even more around him as the waves of pleasure began to wash over her. “Come with me,” she begged, clinging to him, her voice high pitched and breathless as he worked her through her orgasm.

Pleasure lanced through him as the Seeker’s body became a vice upon his own and he kept thrusting into her as he came, spilling inside of her as she held him so tightly. “Cassandra,” he breathed out as he rocked into her, not wanting to stop, trying to draw out the pleasure for as long as he could. His body protested after a moment and he stilled inside of her and let his head drop next to hers on the bed. He groaned his pleasure out against her as he settled. “Mm, yeah, that’s how all arguments should end.”

Cassandra stared up at the ceiling for a moment as she tried to catch her breath. “We’re okay again,” she breathed, sliding her arm flatly across the bed until she could lightly tangle her fingers with his. She turned her head to smile at him, a happy laugh escaping her. “We’re okay again.”


	15. Chapter 15

Two plates balanced carefully on one arm, a bottle of wine and two glasses in the other, Lindsey slowly made her way to Cullen’s office. After the meeting with Solas, she’d spent the whole afternoon working on this meal, trying to make certain that everything was perfect. Strips of chicken, seared slightly crisp on the outside yet still juicy and tender, sat atop a mountain of pasta that swam in thick, creamy alfredo sauce. Teetering on the edge of each plate were breadsticks, slathered in garlic butter and herbs. Oh, she prayed he’d like it.

It took great effort and much care to open the door to his office without dropping the wine glasses or the bottle. When she finally managed it, she nudged it open with her hip and stepped inside. “Hi,” she smiled and crossed the room to him, setting the plates down. She frowned the next minute as a large ball of fluff on the desk caught her eye. It was the cat, stretched out across the important papers on Cullen’s desk as if it owned the place. “What are you doing here?” she asked, her nose wrinkling slightly.

The cat opened one lazy eye to look up at her, then stretched with a yawn and promptly closed its eyes again, ignoring her.

“C’mon, shoo,” she said, giving the cat a shove. It merely slid across the desktop, rumpling the papers, and didn’t move. Lindsey gave a sigh and plucked one of the pieces of chicken off the top of her plate, then waved it in front of the cat’s nose. The cat immediately perked up, sniffing at the offered treat. He raised up, arching his back, then reached for the chicken with a clawed paw. “Ah-ah,” Lindsey said and began to back up towards the door, still holding the chicken out tantalizingly. She grinned as the cat leapt from the desk and trotted across the room, the bell on his collar tinkling. She opened the door and tossed the chicken out onto the battlement, then shut the door as the cat pounced on it.

“Silly thing,” she said as she shook her head and looked to Cullen again. “Sorry about him. He always manages to get into the most inconvenient places.” She paused and slicked a few stray pieces of hair out of her face that had fallen loose from the tie in her hair. She managed another smile for him. “How are you, handsome?”

Cullen watched the whole thing with an amused smile on his face. “Fairly well, actually. I’m not certain about that cat though. I have absolutely no idea how he got in here. He just jumped on my desk and started batting at my quill and no amount of persuading would get him to move. I even picked him up and put him on the ground several times and eventually I just gave up. They were very dull reports,” he said as he leaned back in his chair giving her a warm smile. “How was your day?” he asked, a wiff of the food drifting past his nose and he closed his eyes at the rich scent. “That smells divine by the way. Maker,” he said as he looked at the large portion of food on his plate and his stomach growled at him.

“Pretty good. Nothing eventful,” she said. Well, it wasn’t completely a lie. Nothing very exciting had come from the meeting with Solas, and that was about all she’d done besides cook. She smiled when he complimented the food. “I hope you like it,” she said as she grabbed up the bottle of wine and worked to pull the cork free. When it finally came away with a loud POP she poured each of them a glass. “This meal is one of my favorites. It was my mom’s recipe. She taught me and Jen how to cook. Well, her and Gramma. At one point, me and my sister thought about opening a restaurant, but…” She trailed off and shrugged. “Anyway, we should eat before it gets cold.”

He smiled at her as she sat down next to him at his desk. “I’m sure it would have been a wonderful restaurant,” he said as he twirled his fork into the pasta before he took a bite, the pasta melted in his mouth and he gave a soft groan of appreciation at the rich cheese sauce that coated the noodles. “I think you are going to spoil me for your food. Inquisition ration packs are going to seem like gruel and water compared to this,” he said as he cut into his chicken and mixed it into the pasta. “Thank you for cooking. It is delicious,” he said as he continued to eat, “Tell me of your mother, your grandmother. Are they still in the other world? Wondering where you and your sister are?”

Lindsey shook her head as she chewed her food, pausing to take a sip of wine before she spoke. “My parents died several years ago, when Jen and I were just teenagers. They were in an accident,” she said, but didn’t elaborate. Explaining a car crash would probably be confusing for someone who’d never seen one. “Gramma raised us after that. But she passed away a few years ago. She was… an interesting old lady,” she said with a slight laugh. “I think Jennifer takes after her more than I do. She’s bolder than I am. Gramma was the type of person who didn’t take shit from anyone. She was the one who taught us how to read fortunes, cast spells, all that sort of stuff.”

He listened to her, reaching out to cover her hand with his own. “I’m sorry to hear about your parents. I was away with the Templar order when mine passed away. My sister, Mia, took care of my younger brother and sister after that. She was always the boldest of us all. Still knows how to give me a good scolding that would make Mother proud, I’m sure,” he said, his lips curling up in a smile, “I’m not sure if I would like to have met your grandmother. Jennifer certainly does seem rather… adventurous. And I mean that in the best way.”

She laughed at that. “Oh,  Gramma would’ve looooved you,” she said, turning her hand in his to let her fingers curl around his palm. “She’d have said things to you that would make you blush six ways to Sunday.” She snickered and covered her mouth with her free hand for a moment until she composed herself. “If my sister or I ever brought a date by the house, she’d hit on them. Just to see their reaction. I think it was her way of testing them,” she laughed. “But she was smart and talented. The things Jen and I know about people here because of the game? She knew that kind of stuff without ever meeting a person or learning a thing about them. She just knew. She could read people like they were an open book. But she was kind, too. You would’ve liked her, once you got used to her teasing.”

“Maker, I’m sure I wouldn’t have any blood left in my body with it all running to my face,” he said as he stroked his thumb over her knuckles and laughed with her, “It is rather odd to have someone know about you without having met them. To know you and your sister share that ability with her.” He shook his head. “So, what kind of things would people come to find out from you?”

“All sorts of things,” she answered lightly, her heart fluttering a bit as her ran his thumb over her hand. “A lot of the time it was teenage girls looking for a scare or to find out silly things like who was going to take them to the school dance. Or who they were going to marry.” She paused and rolled her eyes as she reached for her drink. “They were always surprised when they found out the cards didn’t exactly work like that, but then they were interested in how accurate the cards were. Others would come to ask for advice, to see if things would work out the way they hoped. I liked that better, made me feel like I was helping people. Sometimes we gave them spells to help them. I remember one lady, the cards kept mentioning sickness even though she felt well. She went to her doctor anyway and they found she had cancer. They were able to treat it before it got out of hand. She was grateful for our help. That made me feel good, to be able to help someone like her.”

“Remarkable,” Cullen said as he listened. He thought about it but then frowned, “Though, I thought Dorian mentioned that it was the people in your town who tried to kill you. If you do so much good, why would they try to harm you?” He shook his head and gave her hand a squeeze, “Perhaps, in some way, it was the Maker looking out for you. How else would the ones you needed most be there to bring you to a new home, a new life where people have a chance to understand you?”

The corners of her mouth twitched. “Maybe,” she said softly as she poked a piece of chicken around her plate with her fork. “They burned our house down because for every good thing we did, they also thought all the bad that happened to them was our fault. The spells they demanded from us… didn’t always go the way they thought they should. Or they dabbled with something they shouldn’t have, even when we told them not to, then blamed us when it went all wrong.” She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “There were a couple of spells that went completely wrong when Dorian and the others were visiting. People ended up hurt. Dead. They blamed us.” It hurt to think about her house. Even though she was happy here at Skyhold, she still missed it. She lowered her hand and managed a smile for him. “But maybe you’re right. Maybe it was all supposed to be like this.”

He gave her a sad smile. “For what it’s worth, I’m glad I had the chance to meet you. I just wish it had happened under better circumstances for you.” He noticed the sadness in her eyes and he sighed, “I’m sorry. That was rather tactless of me. I should not have brought it up. I meant for this to be something happier. A break for us both.” Cullen raised her hand and pressed a soft kiss to her fingers. “As for my own future, I prefer to be surprised by it. So long as it is the good surprises.”

She smiled at that, butterflies filling her stomach as his lips brushed her fingers. “Really? You don’t want me to tell you your future? Because I see very good things in your future, Commander,” she said as she pulled him closer, leaning over to press a kiss to his lips. Her eyes fluttered shut as she tipped her head slightly, tasting the wine on his lips. She pulled slightly back, smiling softly as she touched her nose to his. She met his eyes, her smile widening, and she waggled her eyebrows suggestively. “Very good things,” she teased.

Cullen felt his cheeks heat up but he couldn’t help but smile at her. She was playful and so beautiful. He rubbed his nose against hers before he pulled back and kissed the tip. “Do you now? Well, I would hate for your prediction to go to waste,” he said as he tipped her head back slightly so he could kiss her again, slowly, deliberately. He pulled back just a moment, “I may be, ah, a little out of practice.”

A jolt of surprise, excitement, and lust shot through her all at once at his words. Now who was being bold? She reached out to cup his cheek, tracing the scar over his lip with her thumb. “Me too,” she answered softly and leaned in to kiss him again. She wondered if he meant what she thought he meant, if she was being too forward… To hell with it. Without breaking the kiss, she moved to straddle his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck as she kissed him. She trailed kissed along his jaw to his neck, sucking softly at the skin there, her heart racing in her chest.

Cullen gave a soft groan as he let his head fall back as she climbed into his lap. Maker, she was perfect. He let his arms encircle her, holding her to him as she kissed at him. He turned his head into her hair, breathing in the spicy sweet scent of her as he let his hands caress her back. He hoped he wasn’t being too forward, that this would be alright. He was also starting to rethink the ladder up to his loft, it certainly put a damper on being spontaneous.

A chill raced up her back as his hands cautiously ran over her. It was as if every inch of her body was awake to his touch, wanting more. “Cullen,” she breathed as she kissed at his throat, nibbling carefully at the skin there. Her fingers slid through his hair, and she ever so slightly rocked her hips in his lap. She hadn’t expected things to go this far this quickly, but goddamn it all, she wanted it. She wanted him. She kissed his mouth again, pulling at his bottom lip with her teeth.

“This isn’t,” he breathed against her, chasing her lips with his own, feeling his cock rapidly hardening beneath her. “This is alright? It’s not too soon, is it?” he asked, “We should stop, shouldn’t we?” Cullen groaned against her as she rocked herself on him and he pulled away from her lips to trail down her neck, moving to seal his lips over her collarbone, “It’s been so long since I’ve wanted to enjoy someone’s company as much as I want to have yours.”

She threw her head back as his hot mouth pressed against her skin. A soft moan escaped her and it was with every ounce of willpower that she pulled back from him to meet his eyes. She swallowed harshly, breathing hard, her center throbbing at the feel of his length hardening against her. “Do you want to stop?” she asked softly. “If you think it’s too soon, that’s okay. I want to, but I… I don’t want to push you. But if you want to…” She leaned in and kissed him again softly on his lips. “It’s your call, Cullen,” she whispered.

“Maker, I want to,” he answered before he leaned up to kiss her again, “To be honest, I am sorely tempted to just shove the papers off of my desk and have you right here.” He  let his hands fall to rest on her hips. He couldn’t stop the soft moan that escaped his throat as he tugged her firmly against him, “I’ve never been very good at seizing the moment.”

She giggled, a heat spreading through her as he pulled her against him. She remembered the scene from the game where he’d shoved everything off his desk. It had seemed so romantic, but talking about it before doing it seemed to ruin the effect. “You want to go up to your room?” she asked, cradling his head in her hands, her forehead resting against his. She rocked her hips in his lap again, another moan escaping her as she felt him through the leather of his pants. “Goddess help me, I want you,” she breathed and kissed him again.

He couldn’t stop the groan and he nodded. To hear her speak with that much restrained passion in her voice, it only furthered his resolve. Who knew when she would wake up and realize that he was a broken man, a shell of what he had once been? “Please, Lindsey,” he pleaded before he kissed her again as he stood up, setting her carefully on her feet, “I fear I will go mad if I do not.”

She gave a nod and grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the ladder. She paused in her steps to kiss him again, passionately, needfully, then turned and climbed up into his room. The air was colder up here than it was in his office, making her shiver, but she knew they would keep each other warm. The moment he stood upright in the room she all but threw herself at him again, kissing him as her fingers worked over the buckles on his armor, eager to get it off of him. “Must you wear so much armor?” she teased as she nibbled at his ear, letting a piece of it clunk to the floor.

He chuckled as he slipped his hands beneath the hem of her shirt, pausing though to draw back and pull the gloves from his hands before he helped her unbuckle his chestpiece. “I am starting to see the hinderance of it, in times like these,” he said as he stepped closer to her again, leaning down and sealing his lips against hers as he backed her up towards his bed. “Mmm, I should really think about getting that ceiling fixed,” he murmured against her as the cold air washed over them, “But I think we might need it in a moment or two.” He pulled back to cup her cheek, seeing the way her eyes sparkled in the moonlight.

“Don’t get me started on that damn ceiling,” she growled, but kissed him to shut herself up before she went off on a rant. The fact that the commander of the Inquisition didn’t even have a proper ceiling in his damn bedroom had always irked her. Though she supposed it spoke to his selflessness. She kissed at his chest as they continued to undress each other, her hand cupping his hard length through his pants. She could feel the heat of it against her palm and it made her shiver. Was this really happening? She barely dared to believe it. She rubbed at him, a whine escaping her throat as she kissed and sucked at his skin.

“Oh sweet Maker,” he breathed as she cupped him and he moaned against her as he pulled her close, before he lifted her up and laid her down on the bed, crawling on top of her and pausing only to strip away his shirt, leaving him in just his breeches. He couldn’t stop kissing her and cupped her cheek as he captured her lips again, sliding his tongue along the seam there, begging her for entrance.

She tangled her tongue with his, wrapping her arms around him as she let him kiss her deeply, as passionately as he wanted. She loved the feel of his weight over her, the way his body pressed against her. She slid her fingers down his back, catching over the scars there, before she worked to unbuckle his belt. She moaned as it gave way and she slipped her hands into his pants, running them over his hips to grab his ass. “Oh gods,” she breathed as she bucked up against him. Her pulse pounded in her veins, the cold air of the room forgotten. She squeezed the firm muscles, nearly whimpering before she pulled back and stripped away her top, revealing herself to him.

Cullen sucked in a breath as she bared herself to him and he leaned back to take her in. Her hair spread out around her head like a halo. Her freckles covered her skin and he reached out to follow the pattern with his fingers. He wish he had taken the time to light a candle so he could see the exact shade of her dusky nipples, to see if her blush followed her curves. He gave her a smile before he leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. “You are so beautiful,” he said quietly to her.

Her eyes fell shut, her heart swelling with warmth for him. “I must be the luckiest woman in the world,” she murmured, leaning into his kiss. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him close to her, just enjoying the warm feel of their bare skin pressed together. She kissed the rounded muscle of his shoulder, breathing in the scent of his skin. “You’re amazing,” she breathed, letting her tongue trail over the line of his shoulder.

He chuckled against her, lifting himself up to pull off his pants before he tossed the garment away and settled next to her on the bed, just studying her for a moment. “I didn’t think there was anyone left for me out in the world who could see me as anything more than just a Templar. More than a broken man. I still have a lot of work ahead of me. The lyrium...” He trailed off and ran a hand over her hip, moving to cup her breast before he leaned down and nuzzled her soft flesh, “Could cause more problems for me in the future. I wouldn’t want to become a burden to you.”

“Never,” she breathed, arching into his touch. Her breast tingled and swelled as his chin scraped against the sensitive skin. She quickly wiggled out of her pants and cast them aside before she scooted closer to him, a soft cry escaping her as his lips brushed her nipple. Her hand trembled as she closed her fingers around his hard length, giving it a long slow stroke. “Now no more worries tonight,” she whispered to him. “I care about you, that’s all that matters.”

He groaned against her as she wrapped her fingers around him and Maker, that was so much better than his own hand. He couldn’t stop his hips from jerking in her grasp and he sighed out before he sealed his lips around the hardened nub, his other hand searching out the other one, pinching and rolling it to firmness. She was so soft, and her curves were just perfect. He took a moment to bite the inside of his own cheek to keep himself from spending too soon. He wanted this to last as long as he could make it.

Gods, could he be any more perfect? The way he took his time with her, not rushing, just enjoying the moment made her swoon all over again. Her breasts ached with pleasure as he teased her nipples, her core throbbing already. She squeezed his cock a little harder, milking out a drop of precum to slick her hand as she stroked him. She loved the sounds he made, the feel of his ragged breath against her skin. She didn’t know how much longer she could wait. “Cullen, please,” she begged softly, twisting her wrist as she slid her hand over the hot steel of his cock.

He nodded and moaned as he rolled over on top of her. “I can’t wait. I want it to last, but I can’t,” he breathed as he reached down between them, thumbing at her clit for a moment before he grasped himself, brushing the head of his cock against her slick folds. Maker, she felt so good. He couldn’t wait and he pressed inside, squeezing his eyes shut as he did. “Yessss.” He let out a warm hiss. It was like sliding into a hot bath, the way her body cradled him so perfectly. “You feel amazing.”

Lindsey hissed through her teeth, digging her nails into the backs of his shoulders. Her hips lifted to meet his, taking him smoothly into her body. “So good,” she whimpered, clinging to him as she moved beneath him, rocking her hips back into the mattress, then up again to meet him. She bit lightly at his shoulder, kissing and licking her way to his neck, sucking harshly at the skin there. She wanted to leave her mark on him. Her hands roamed over his back, his ass, touching him everywhere she possibly could. “Oh gods, Cullen!”

Cullen couldn’t stop the groan that escaped his lips as Lindsey ran her hands over him. The sweet, sharp pain in his neck only made him harden further within her. It would be high enough on his neck that his armor wouldn’t cover it up. He reached down, sliding his hand along her leg, hiking it up and over his waist as he thrust into her. She squeezed him so tightly with her body, all that she was it had him gasping, begging her for more. He buried his face into the side of her neck, unable to stop the moans from escaping his lips.

She threw her head back with a cry at the slight change in position, his cock slipping deeper into her body. “Right there!” she cried, clenching her body around him as hard as she could. He filled her perfectly, stretching her body around his cock. She tightened the muscles in her leg, pulling him into her with every thrust of his hips, using her other leg to push herself upwards. “Oh fuck,” she groaned, listening to the sounds escaping his throat as he drove himself into her. She leaned up to nibble at his ear. “Harder, baby.”

“Yes,” he breathed against her, kissing at her throat as he picked up the pace. The sound of their skin slapping together was music to his ears and he could barely keep his thrusts steady as each pass drove him closer and closer to that sweet edge. “Lindsey. I’m so close. So close. May I?” He breathed against her, sucking hard at her neck as he struggled to keep himself from spending right then and there.

"Yes!" she cried wantonly, bucking up to take him to the hilt over and over again, their bodies meeting with bruising force. "Come for me, Cullen! Come for me!" She screamed out the next moment as her orgasm overwhelmed her, flashes of white bursting in her vision. Her body clutched at his cock, wave upon wave of hot bliss ripping through her every nerve. "CULLEN!"

He couldn’t stop the shout as he came from the sheer pressure of her body clamping down on his own as she plunged over the edge and for a moment, his world became the rush of blood in his ears, the whiteness as his vision faltered and the sound of her moans and cries as she spent herself. He bit down on her shoulder as his cock throbbed and pulsed within her, his hips spasming against her as he spilled his essence deeply within her. He panted after a moment, still thrusting against her, “Oh Maker.”

Lindsey stared up at the hole in the ceiling, the stars she could see in the night sky. “So good,” she gasped, struggling to catch her breath. She wrapped her arms around him, one hand gently squeezing the back of his neck, holding him as he came down from the pleasure high. She gently rocked against him, just trying to regain some sense of herself. She was sore in the most delicious sort of way, and her shoulder throbbed slightly. “Cullen… that was amazing,” she praised, turning her face into his neck, just enjoying holding him like that for as long as he’d let her.

Cullen groaned his agreement and kissed at the skin beneath his lips before he lifted himself off of her and rolled to the side. He stared up at the ceiling a moment, his elbows bent and sticking up. He didn’t have the energy to move them. His body tingled in the best way and he couldn’t remember the last time he had given into pleasure. “Mm, thank you so much. I hope... well, I would hope that the night isn’t over with just yet. I need a moment, I think.” He tilted his head over to the side to give her a lopsided smile.

She smiled back at him and nodded. The cold air of his room wrapped around her and made her shiver. She reached for the blankets and pulled them up over both of them, scooting a little closer to his side. She paused to press a soft, warm kiss to his lips before she settled against the bed. “Take as much time as you need,” she said softly. “We have all night.” She sighed as she snuggled into the pillow, looking at him in the soft moonlight that filtered through the hole in the ceiling. “This must be a dream.”

He felt a warmth spread in his chest as she curled up in his arms and he wrapped them firmly around her as he looked up at the moon. “It must be. Do you think that’s possible? For two people from two different worlds to share the same dream?” he asked, feeling silly for having voiced it, but at the same time he felt... he didn’t know how he felt. It was a good feeling and he felt that the question had more weight than he intended it to be.

“I don’t know,” she answered softly, studying his profile as he looked up at the ceiling. “If it is, I don’t want to wake up.” She reached out to touch his chin, turning his face towards her. The corners of her lips twitched in a smile and she leaned in to kiss him again. Her eyes fluttered shut, savoring the moment with him. She met his eyes as she pulled back and shook her head. “No, I was wrong,” she said. “This has to be real.”

Cullen reached up, combing his fingers through her hair as he smiled at her, leaning his forehead against her own. “Thank you,” he said as he settled back against the pillows turning his face into her hair, “I can’t remember the last time I had a better night. I’ve been so focused on the Inquisition and with the lyrium... Well, it hasn’t been easy.”

“See? Taking a moment for yourself isn’t so bad, is it?” she teased, poking him. She slid her arm around him and sighed happily. “I know you give so much of yourself to the Inquisition. What you do is important. They’re lucky to have you to lead their forces. I just… want to be the one who gives something back to you,” she said, hoping it didn’t sound silly or desperate or cliche. “You deserve that much, if not more.”

He chuckled against her. “You flatter me, Lindsey,” he said smiling against her skin, “I’ll try to keep that in mind. It isn’t always easy.” He sighed deeply. “I hope I wasn’t too rusty. I haven’t, ah, been with a woman in a while. A long while. Too many demons running around in the back of my mind.” He winced and pressed his lips together, “You should know, I’m prone to having bad dreams.”

She knew that about him, of course, but decided not to say so. “It’s alright,” she said softly, running her fingers through his hair. A smile split her lips and a soft laugh escaped her. “Rusty? If that’s what you call rusty…” She trailed off and shook her head. “I meant it, Cullen. You were amazing. And it’s been a while since I was with anyone, too.” She let her hand fall to his cheek, stroking it with her thumb. “And don’t worry about the bad dreams,” she said, “I’ll be here when you wake up.”

He smiled at her, kissing her slowly again, “Sounds good to me.”


	16. Chatper 16

Solas sat at his desk, feeling tired and unsettled. He hadn’t slept well at all the night before. Though he despised tea, he sipped at it now, trying to wake himself up, to ease the memory of the dreams from the night before. He was worried for his friend, a spirit of wisdom. He would have to speak with the Inquisitor, to ask for help to free the spirit. It angered him to think of his friend captured and enslaved by mages. He frowned and sipped at the tea again, pulling a face at the taste.

He heard the door behind him, but didn’t bother to turn to see who had entered. He was too lost in his own thoughts to care. It was probably just someone passing through anyway, as many people did throughout the day. He looked up when they came to a stop next to his desk. “Jennifer,” he said, happy that it was her. He wasn’t sure if he was in the mood to speak to anyone else. 

Jennifer felt her heart stop as she saw the way Solas sat, cradling the teacup in his hands. “Shit. I would have thought this would have already passed,” she said as she moved to lean against the edge of his desk. “You had that dream. With your spirit friend who was captured by mages?” She asked the question, but she already knew the answer. She hated this quest and loved it at the same time. It wasn’t going to end well. She closed her eyes. 

There was that unsettling feeling in his chest again as he learned yet another thing she knew about him. “You knew this would happen?” he asked. He paused and corrected himself, her words in his mind. “You thought it already had.” He frowned down at the cup of tea in his hands. It would have been appreciated if she had let him know ahead of time. Perhaps he could have done something to prevent it. He shook his head at himself. It was not her fault and she deserved none of his anger. He looked up at her again. “Yes,” he finally answered her question. “I must speak with the Inquisitor soon. Perhaps we can save my friend. And even if we cannot, we mustn’t allow it to remain enslaved.”

She pressed her lips thin, feeling a hint of his anger at the situation. “Solas, I am so sorry. If I had known this hadn’t happened yet, I would have warned you as soon as I could. The mages summoned your friend and ordered it to kill. They wanted protection from bandits on the road. They are fools,” she said quietly and reached out to give his knee a squeeze, “You should tell the Inquisitor. Go as soon as possible. If you leave now, you could still make it back in time before we have to go to the Winter Palace.”

He nodded and downed his tea before he set the cup on the desk and stood. “I know Josephine did not want any of us to go out right now, but this matter is urgent.” He took her hands in his, feeling a strength and support from her that he had not experienced in ages. “I will speak to the Inquisitor now. If you have time to wait, I will return shortly. I would like a moment with you before we leave.”

“You know, I could come with you,” she said as she looked down at his hand that held hers. She had a thing for those hands and the slender wrist. Something about it. She ran her thumb over his skin and looked up, searching his eyes, “I could help, somehow. I don’t know what I could do, but it’s to save your friend. It’s important. Maybe with me there, I could make a difference somehow?”

He automatically shook his head. “No, it is too dangerous for you,” he protested, but then stopped himself. If she knew the situation, perhaps there was something she could do to change it. Whatever happened, he would not allow her to be in harm’s way. He could protect her. “Alright,” he finally agreed with a nod. “But you must promise me that if there is trouble, you must do as I say. I would not see you hurt because of me.” He raised a hand to cup her cheek. “I will keep you safe, but you mustn’t needlessly put yourself in danger.”

Jennifer leaned into his touch and nodded, giving him a soft look as she brought her hand up to cover his own. Good grief, she was head over heels for his character. It was different than in the game. So much more in depth and he was so much more intense than she could have ever thought. “I promise, Solas. Go on then. Find the Inquisitor. I’ll go and get my pack ready. Let my sister know where I’m going.”

He leaned in and kissed her softly, pulling her to him for a moment. “Meet me at the stables when you are ready,” he said. “Even if the Inquisitor does not agree to go, I must handle this.” He looked at her for a long moment before he turned and left to find the Inquisitor, his thoughts returning to his friend and how best to help the spirit of wisdom.

Jennifer watched him go for a moment before she turned on her heel and hurried out the door, going to find her sister. Surprisingly enough, she wasn’t in the kitchens and she wasn’t in her room either. She scratched at her head as she stood outside the room, trying to think of where she could be.  Jennifer snapped her fingers. “Cullen. She said she was making dinner for Cullen last night. I wonder if she spent the night.” She pondered with a grin and went to her room to quickly throw together a travel pack before she dashed off towards the Commander’s office. “LINDSEY!” she called out as she knocked on the door before she opened it and stuck her head in.

Lindsey awoke with a start at the sound of her sister’s voice. She didn’t know where she was at first, then blinked when she saw Cullen sleeping next to her. So it wasn’t a dream. That made her smile until she heard Jennifer call her name again. She sat up quickly and gasped as the cold air hit her bare skin. “Oh piss, it’s cold,” she hissed. “Ah, just a sec, Jen!” she called loudly, then cringed as Cullen stirred and blinked at her. “It’s just my sister. I’ll be right back,” she explained quickly and pressed a kiss to his lips before she threw herself out of the bed and yanked on her clothes. She climbed down the ladder as fast as she dared, meeting her sister in Cullen’s office. “Don’t look at me like that.”

Jennifer couldn’t stop the smile on her face. “Hmm, I take it he liked dinner?” she asked, trying to hold a serious expression before she grinned and threw her arms around her sister. “I hope it was a great night, for you both. I know you both needed it. Him definitely,” she said as she pulled back, “So, um, you remember that quest for Solas? His friend in the Exalted Plains? Well he had that dream last night and I am going to go with him to see if we can’t do something to save it.”

“Oh shit,” Lindsey said, remembering the scene well from the game. “Jen, are you sure? I don’t wanna see you get hurt.” She knew her sister better than that, though. If she said she was gonna go, she was gonna go and nothing Lindsey said would make her change her mind. “Alright. But please be careful.” She hugged her sister tightly. “I’ll take care of things here. Go on.”

“You know I will be as careful as I can, I just. I don’t know. I feel like us being here changes so many things already. I just want to keep an eye on events, as much as I can to make sure things aren’t terribly altered. Though, I guess there is no restarting the game if we fuck up, huh?” She worked her lip between her teeth and shook her head. “I’m going to be stupid and go. You just watch over everyone here,” she said as she gave Lindsey’s shoulder a squeeze, “Keep Cullen safe.”

Lindsey grinned. “Tee hee hee,” she giggled. “You know I will.” She looked up at the ceiling overhead, hearing him moving about in his room. She was worried about her sister, but the promise Solas had made to keep them both safe made her feel better about the situation. “Don’t keep Solas waiting. Things will be fine here.” She hugged her again, then gave her a shove towards the door. “I expect details when you get back!”

Jennifer nodded and smile. “All the details!” she said and grinned before she winked at Lindsey, “I love you girl. BYE CULLEN!” she called up and grinned, “Make sure you put your trousers back on the right way!” She giggled and ran for the door, laughing. She could practically feel the heat from Cullen’s blush. She took a deep breath as she stood outside and looked towards the stables for a moment and looked over the side of the battlements. “I’m guessing I can’t be super Inquisitor and jump down from heights like this in reality,” she muttered before she headed for the stairs.

* * *

 

Solas waited by the stables for the others to join him. The horses were saddled and ready, now it was just a matter of waiting for the Inquisitor and whoever he chose to accompany him. He stood up straighter as Jennifer approached him, a pack slung over her shoulder. “The Inquisitor agreed to go,” he told her. “He’s asking two others of the inner circle to join us, in case something goes wrong. I hope that-” He stopped short as he saw the Inquisitor approaching, Sera and Vivienne following closely behind. It took every ounce of willpower he possessed not to groan and roll his eyes.

“Ready to go?” the Inquisitor asked. He nodded at Jennifer in greeting, then took the reins of his horse and mounted it quickly. “We need to get going. If Josephine catches wind of this before we get across that bridge…” He shuddered and didn’t continue, casting a nervous glance back towards the Great Hall. 

Sera glanced between Solas and Jennifer, a wicked giggle escaping her, but she didn’t comment. She wondered how riled up she could get Solas with this one. The chance to piss off him and Vivienne at the same time? It was too good of an opportunity to pass up. 

Solas could almost feel Sera itching to make some remark, but he turned his back on her, grateful now that Jennifer had offered to come with them. He grabbed the reins of a horse, the tamest and calmest of the bunch, and held it steady for her. “Allow me,” he said, offering her a hand to help her onto the horse.

Jennifer looked nervously at Vivienne and Sera and swallowed before she slipped her hand into Solas’ letting him help her onto the horse. She settled over the saddle, catching his shoulder before he turned from her. “We have to do something,” she said in a quiet hiss, “Vivienne and Sera both? If they see your friend turned… they’ll try to convince the Inquisitor to murder it.”

Solas gave a nod; her words were no surprise to him. He felt like kicking the Inquisitor for this. It was well known how little the three of them liked each other. He’d been hoping for Cassandra and Varric, or at least Bull and Dorian. But no, it had to be those two. He swung his long leg over his own horse and turned it to follow the Inquisitor, who had already made it to the gate. He rode beside Jennifer, letting Vivienne and Sera ride ahead. “I will handle them. Whatever they may say, do not let it get to you. They both thrive on upsetting others,” he said to her in a low voice.

Jennifer almost rolled her eyes. “Oh don’t worry about that. I’m not a fan of Vivienne. She’s a lying snake who plays the game and doesn’t know when to stop. Sera… Sera’s alright, but too many pranks, I think,” she said quietly and looked over at the Inquisitor. Truth be told, she didn’t know much about this Inquisitor and she looked over at Solas, pausing to drink in the sight of him sitting on the horse as though he were born to do it. “Tell me, what do you think of the Inquisitor?”

Solas regarded the Inquisitor for a moment. “I was unsure of him at first,” he answered as their horses noisily clopped across the bridge out of Skyhold. “But he has proven himself a good leader of this Inquisition. He does what he believes is right, not what may be popular. We may not always agree, but I respect him.” He glanced at her, keeping his expression neutral. “Why do you ask? Is there something I should know?” he asked, wondering what she knew of the Inquisitor if she knew so much else about the inner circle.

She shook her head, looking over at Solas, letting their horses ride close together. “Just sometimes it’s a good Inquisitor. Sometimes it’s a bad Inquisitor. I’ve seen both sides, but if we are going on this particular quest, then he cannot be all that bad. You haven’t been punched by him, have you?” She gave him a sad smile and reached out to him, trailing her fingers along his jawline. 

He nearly laughed at her. “What a ridiculous thing to ask,” he lightly scolded, though he leaned into her touch, smiling warmly at her. “The Inquisitor would not do such a thing. Though I may sometimes question him, he does his best to work with all of us.” He leaned a little closer to her, speaking even softer, “I do sometimes think he allowed Vivienne to join the Inquisition only because he did not want her as an enemy. Everyone else must have been busy if he asked her to come along. It is rare that she accompanies him anywhere.”

Jennifer nodded and reluctantly pulled back from Solas. “Just making sure. The Inquisitor that is not nice… You’d notice him. Would have gone straight for the Chantry when Corypheus attacked Haven. Wouldn’t have saved anyone but himself. In truth, I could never get very far in my playthroughs with him. I hated hurting everyone,” she said and sighed as they traveled. She looked up as Sera’s head jerked forward as if she had been looking back at them. “Did Sera put lizards in your bedroll yet?”

“Mmm, yes, she did,” he said dryly, sitting up straighter in the saddle. “She does enjoy her childish pranks. At times, she has even involved the Inquisitor, convinced him to help her play pranks on members of the Inquisition. It is one of the times I have questioned him and his maturity.” He shook his head. “Some members of the inner circle seem amused by her. Blackwall. Dorian. I do not share their sentiment, but I’m certain you already know that.”

Sera slowed her horse so that it walked on Jennifer’s other side. She looked her up and down as if sizing her up before leaning over and speaking in a hushed tone. “What’re you two whisperin’ about back here? Are we gossiping about Vivi? Cause I can totally get in on that.”

Jennifer smiled, giving Solas a side look. She looked back to Sera, “Oh maybe, but you know Vivienne is a rather scary woman to piss off. If you try to give her snakes, she enchants them to have legs and sends them back to find you. All skitter skitter like. Not sure you can mess with her and walk away unscathed.” She shook her head. “She doesn't’ seem to let anyone bother her, does she? I think what would get her more is just ignoring her.”

Sera wrinkled her nose, then the corners of her mouth turned down in disappointment. “Aw, and here I was hopin’ you’d be fun,” she said. “Vivi may pretend that it doesn’t get to her, but it does. I know it does.” She leaned over and looked at Solas. “Should’a known you wouldn’t pick someone fun. Even though she’s human, I bet she’s just about as damn elfy as you are.”

Solas stared straight ahead, refusing to let himself smirk in amusement. “So sorry to disappoint you, Sera,” he responded simply. He could see that Jennifer mentioning the viper Vivienne had sent back to Sera had rattled the other elf. And that amused him greatly. “I would advise against trying to prank Jennifer. She knows a great deal about everyone in the Inquisition after all,” he said, finally looking over at her. “She’s capable of magic even I do not fully understand. And she knows  everything  about you. It is probably in your best interest not to antagonize her.”

Jennifer laughed and gave Sera a smile. “Telling fortunes and reading tea leaves. That sort of thing. I could show you some time, if you like, Sera. Maybe point you on the path of finding your true love? Might be one of those Qunari women you are so fond of.” 

Hearing Jennifer say that when she had not spoken to her hardly at all made the blood drain from Sera’s face. “Nope. Not havin’ any of that,” she said. “You’re just as weird as he is.” She urged her horse forward to ride beside the Inquisitor, sticking her tongue out at Vivienne as she passed.

Solas chuckled. “Well that’s one way to stop her,” he commented. If it were possible, he felt an entirely new affection for Jennifer rise up in his chest. “I am glad you decided to come with me. I do not know if I could have retained my sanity otherwise,” he said, reaching over to give her hand a squeeze. A smile crossed his lips. “You handled her better than I could have expected. Perhaps I need not worry about you so much.”

She smiled back over at Solas and reached out, threading their fingers together. “I’m glad I decided to come. I know this won’t be easy. No matter what happens, you are not going to have to face this alone.” She looked up at Vivienne who was deep into discussion with the Inquisitor. “And I know just how much she gets under your skin.”

“Indeed,” he muttered darkly, watching the conversation between Vivienne and the Inquisitor. Though he couldn’t hear her words, he did not like what he could read from her body language. With Vivienne’s opinions on spirits, demons, and the like, he didn’t like the idea of her discussing this one-on-one with the Inquisitor. Hopefully he would listen to reason when Solas had another chance to speak with him. He hoped to get the other man alone for a bit when they made camp. “I will not let her influence this. It is not her concern; she came only because the Inquisitor asked her to.”

Jennifer nodded. “We can talk to them more when we make camp. With these two… perhaps the best course of action would be to go out and find your friend to break the bindings before they think we are trying to free a demon or something.” She waved her hand in the air. “Whatever you think is best, Solas. It is your friend, after all. I would not want to see it injured any more than it already is.” She pressed her lips together, trying to think, but there was only so much she could do. She was an outsider to this world and she knew very little in the way of the infinite delicacies of the Game and how to act and look, listen. “You need to teach me how to see the world with that critical eye that you do, Solas.” 

The corner of his mouth twitched. “I am afraid that is more learned through experience than taught,” he said, then turned his face to look at her. “But we shall see. The Winter Palace could be an excellent place to learn such a skill.” He also thought that Iron Bull would be rather good at teaching her such a thing as well, but he would rather keep that privilege to himself. “It is mostly about interpreting body language. While a person may be proficient at lying with their words, it is much harder to lie with one’s entire body. It is subtle gestures, tiny movements that give away the truth. For example,” he nodded up ahead, “You see the way the Inquisitor has turned towards Vivienne? How he’s slightly leaning towards her? He is genuinely interested in what she has to say. If he were not, he would still be facing straight ahead, perhaps even leaning away from her. Of course truly reading someone is much more complex than that.”

She frowned as she watched the way the Inquisitor talked to Vivienne. “He respects what she has to say. I wonder if he picked it up by being with Josephine. I’m fairly sure Vivienne doesn’t like or trust me at all. What with the whole, I know about past present and future things.” She glared at the other woman. “She uses death to her advantage like she wields a sword.”

“She is like poison to this Inquisition,” he agreed. “Steer clear of her. The less interaction you have with her, the better.” A dark look crossed his features as he stared ahead at the other mage. If she so much as looked at Jennifer wrong… He shook his head, clearing the dark thoughts from his mind. “Let us speak of something more pleasant. I’m certain she will make herself a point of attention throughout this entire trip.”

* * *

 

“Vivienne, I understand your concern,” the Inquisitor said softly as they made camp. “But if there is some way to save Solas’ friend, I would rather we take that approach.” He’d been listening to her for most of the trip, giving her words serious consideration. But now she was wearing on his nerves. It was as if she wouldn’t be satisfied until he told her that they were going to destroy the spirit that had been summoned. And though he wouldn’t say it aloud, part of him wondered if she was more interested in hurting Solas than she was in protecting people from a demon. “We will have to wait and see when we get there in the morning. If it is too dangerous, then yes, we may be forced to kill it. We have no way of knowing until then.”

Jennifer stirred the cast iron pot that hung over the fire in the center of camp. It was nothing too fancy, but they had killed some rams on their way over and she had packed a few things of preserved vegetables with spices that could make for a hearty stew. She kept glancing up and over at the Inquisitor and she could see that the man was trying to see reason, but Vivienne was having none of it. Her voice was so grating on her nerves at that point. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. She shook her head and ladled out a bowl for Sera, passing it over to her before she poured two more and went over to where Solas was setting up their tent for the night.

Solas finished setting up the tent and turned to accept the bowl from her. “This smells delicious,” he said as he sat down cross legged next to her. The steam from the stew curled up around his face in the cold evening air. “I believe this may be just what we need to warm up,” he said with a smile, then blew lightly over the first spoonful. “Mmm,” he hummed as he took the first bite. “This may be the best we’ve ever been served while on the road. You truly have a gift, Jennifer,” he said. There was a look of irritation on her face that wasn’t missed by him. “Tell me what troubles you.”

She looked down into her own bowl of food, stirring the contents for a moment before she looked over at him. “I’m just worried, Solas. I just want to help your friend. Help it survive this. To think that it is out there right now, suffering...” She closed her eyes and shook her head. She leaned over, turning her spoon around so she could use the end of it to draw into the dirt. “This is your friend in the center. And there are summoning circles all around it. Stone pillars of some kind. If we break the stones, your friend will be freed.” 

Solas leaned over, his shoulder against hers as he studied the crude drawing in the dirt. He recognized it for what it was and gave a nod. “I am impressed by your knowledge,” he said. He glanced across the way at the Inquisitor, who had finally managed to end the conversation with Vivienne. “He’s giving her opinion serious consideration,” he said in a low voice, his tone disapproving. “I do not like the way this is going. She would see my friend destroyed. It is not the spirit’s fault that it was summoned to this world against its will.” He frowned. “We must do something.”

Jennifer felt a wave of fear wash over her at the thought of Solas having to free his friend, guiding it into death. She’d do anything to stop him from looking that broken again. She remembered that after it happened, Solas had almost thought about not returning to the Inquisition. “Do you think you and I could break the circle on our own? Free your friend before Vivienne and the others can try to destroy it?” She swallowed harshly and looked at Solas, taking in the way his brows drew together as he thought.

His frown deepened. “I would not have you so close to the danger. If my friend has been turned, twisted against its original purpose, it is likely that it will try to attack anyone who comes too near to it. Even me.” He looked at her, the frown turning into a small smile. “You are no warrior, Jennifer. But it means much to me that you would offer to help. I will have to try to disrupt the binding myself.” He stirred the bowl of stew in his hands, taking a moment to enjoy it. The heat seared his throat and settled into a burning warmth in his stomach. “I fear we may have to go alone. I thought perhaps the Inquisitor would listen to me, but Vivienne has been in his ear all day. It is likely they will try to kill my friend. Perhaps I should not have spoken to him about it at all and just set out on my own.”

“We should go, as soon as they are asleep. I will try my best to stay back, where you tell me to. I’m not going to let you do this alone. I am so sorry, but you are stuck with me for a time now,” she said as she poked at his arm, excitement and fear boiled up inside of her and she wasn’t sure what was going to happen out there. The anticipation of trying to get there before the Inquisitor, it was driving her mad.

He shook his head. “We need energy to be able to break the binding. We must also rest. I will wake us in the morning before the others. We may get a head start on them, hopefully we can reach my friend before they arrive.” He looked down at the bowl in his hands again, stirring it around. “I should not have marked the location on the map for the Inquisitor. I should not have even troubled him with this. Had I known Vivienne was coming, if I knew that she would persuade him in this way…” He trailed off. He grit his teeth and growled. In his rush to help his friend, he had made yet another mistake. And now his friend’s life was at risk. “Damn it all.”

Jennifer’s brow creased with worry and she slid her hand over his wrist, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. “It will be alright. We will do what we can for your friend. Don’t put the blame all on yourself. If I had known this hadn’t happened yet, I would have told you right away. I know how important your friend is to you,” she said firmly, not liking the look in his eyes. This was something you didn’t see in the game. The traveling, the anxiety. In the game, traveling took but a moment and here? It was longer. What she wouldn’t give to have a car. Maybe an offroader.

“I believe you,” he said in a low voice. He finished off the last bites of his stew, then turned and slid his hand around the back of her neck, pulling her close so he could press a firm kiss to the side of her head. He let his eyes fall closed, enjoying the scent of her hair for just a moment before he pulled back and stood. “Finish yours,” he said with a nod at the bowl in her hands, “and we can get some sleep. There is no need to try to reason with the Inquisitor now. Vivienne has poisoned his opinion this time.” A frown tugged at the corners of his mouth as he said it.

She looked over at the Inquisitor, who was nodding at something Vivienne was saying and she sighed, but hurried up and finished her meal. She couldn’t help but feel bad at the situation. She had all of this knowledge and it was just going to waste. She tried to think of anything else that would be useful to Solas but couldn’t… she stopped as she remembered the temple of Mythal. She would have to tell him about it, maybe prevent the Inquisitor from killing those ancient elves. Jennifer finished her stew and set the bowl down by the side of the log and looked to Solas, standing up.

He took her hand in his, speaking only slightly louder than normal. “We should retire for the evening,” he said, interrupting whatever Vivienne was saying to the Inquisitor. He gave them a slight bow, bidding them goodnight, then led Jennifer into the tent and tied it shut. He set aside his staff before he crawled onto the bedroll, slipping beneath the blankets. He pulled them back and held out an arm for her to lay next to him. It would be a comfort to hold her for a while as they slept. He smiled as she laid down and he covered her up, wrapping his arm around her. “Sleep now,” he said softly, “I will wake you in a few hours and we can set out. Alone.”

Jennifer smiled as she settled into his arms, slipping her arm over his chest, sighing out as she pressed her face into his side, tangling their legs together. He was very firm, very warm. “You are good to snuggle with,” she murmured as she rubbed her hand over his arm that she could reach before a yawn split her mouth. She smiled up at him before she pressed a kiss to his dimpled chin.

He chuckled again and pulled her closer, moving so he could capture her lips. This was so easy with her, to learn to trust someone again. In a way it made him a little nervous, it had been so long since he dared to trust anyone at all. But this… he could get used to this. He sighed through his nose as he kissed her, slipping his tongue past her lips, holding her tight against him. Perhaps it was a bit much for a goodnight kiss, but then again, restraint was never his forte. He held her tight, crushing his lips to hers, slipping his hand into her hair, holding her like that for a long minute before he finally pulled back and smiled at her. “Goodnight,” he whispered.

She was a bit dazed as his lips left hers and she knew she had a stupid smile on her face and she couldn’t stop herself from lightly hitting him in the shoulder. “Tease,” she said as she settled back down against him. Mm, it had been passionate and exciting, but not enough to make her forget why they were out there in the first place. “I have something important to tell you later, about the ancient elves in the Temple of Mythal, but it’ll keep for a while longer.” 

He tipped his head at her, curiosity and worry filling him all at once. He wanted to argue, wanted to demand that she tell him now, but perhaps she was right. The canvas of the tent wasn’t well suited for private conversations; anyone standing outside would easily overhear them. And they had more pressing matters to attend to now. He would have to speak with her about it as soon as possible. “Alright,” he agreed and settled down on the bedroll, shifting into a comfortable position with her pulled tight to his side. “Sleep well, Jennifer. We have a long day ahead of us, I fear.”


	17. Chapter 17

“Jennifer, wake up!” Solas whispered harshly, shaking her shoulder. It was still dark outside; the others had long since gone to sleep. But he and Jennifer had managed to grab a few hours of sleep at least. He held a finger to his lips as she stirred. “Let us hurry. If we leave now, we can find my friend in plenty of time to break the binding before the Inquisitor can catch up to us.” He moved out of the tent, looking around carefully to make certain that no one else was awake. He gestured for her to follow him. 

Jennifer nearly groaned, but remembered what they were doing before she snapped her mouth shut and nodded at him. She quickly grabbed up her things and pulled her shoes on before she followed him out of the tent. She really really he could see in the dark better than she could because she was almost blind. She followed him to the horses and let him help her up into the saddle before her eyebrows went up as he pulled himself up after her on the same horse. She had to admit it was rather nice and couldn’t resist leaning back a little into him as he reached around her and took the reins from her hands. 

“We can travel faster this way,” he said, turning the horse and urging it forward. Once they were clear of the camp, he shifted slightly to hold her more securely against him. He didn’t want to insult her, but she’d told him of how people in her world traveled. He had been worried she wouldn’t be able to keep up on her own horse. “Trust me,” he said lowly in her ear, then spurred the horse into a gallop, glancing up at the stars to reassure himself that they were going the right direction.

She couldn’t stop the shiver that ran down her spine at the sound of his voice in her ear and she nodded, glancing around as the scenery around them changed and she started to notice she recognized most of it and her brow pressed together as she realized they would be getting close. “So they bound your friend for protection on the road, forced her to travel with them until they ran into bandits and forced her to kill.” She had never really understood it in the game. You just always showed up when the spirit had already been turned into a demon. You didn’t get to see how. Certainly if his friend had been turned, he wouldn’t have heard the cry for help in his sleep.

A dark look crossed his features and he urged the horse faster. “I hope we can reach my friend before that happens,” he said. “If they have done so, forced a spirit of wisdom to kill, to go against its nature, I fear it may be too late. Twisting a spirit against its purpose will most certainly create a demon.” He growled again, grateful for the wind in his face because it dried the tears in his eyes before they could fall. He had to get to his friend, had to break the binding and send it back to the Fade before they could corrupt it. “By summoning it to this world, binding it the way they have, they could command it to do such. Let us hope we reach my friend in time.”

Jennifer nodded. “I know,” she said sadly and reached up to give his fists a squeeze. She wondered if the mages had run into the bandits yet. If they had forced wisdom to kill. She closed her eyes and searched the horizon. She remembered that rock and those ruins and then she thought she recognized the place where the scorch marks should have been but there was nothing. “Odd. If they had turned your friend into a demon, this is where the bandit bodies would be.” Hope flared inside of her, “Maybe it’s not too late!”

Hope flared in Solas’ chest at her words. His eyes went wide a few minutes later when the summoning circle came into view, his friend trapped in the middle. “My friend!” he gasped and pulled the horse to a stop, dismounting quickly and running forward. His path was blocked by one of the mages who had summoned the spirit. “You!” he snarled. “What have you done? Release that spirit! It does not wish to be here in this world! How dare you try to enslave it for your own purposes?!”

Jennifer watched as she saw the rather pudgy mage turn and take a step back from Solas. 

“Halt right there! You, you aren’t with those bandits are you? This demon is our only way of protection out here on the roads. Surely you can summon your own if you need someone to protect you as well.” 

She nearly rolled her eyes at the mage, her gaze falling upon the spirit of Wisdom who looked frantic to reach Solas but was stopped by the binding circle the mages had put it in for the night. She jumped off the horse, nearly tripping as she hurried after Solas, “There’s no point in trying to reason with them! Let’s break the binding quickly before anything happens!”

“Out of my way,” Solas growled and shoved past the mage, heading straight for his friend, trapped in that circle. It broke his heart to see the spirit so. He turned as one of the mages screamed and fell, her chest pierced by an arrow. The other mages panicked, running as the bandits came into view, loosing a hail of arrows. His heart stopped as one took aim at Jennifer. “NO!” he cried, moving so fast he could barely be seen, and stepped in front of her, throwing up a barrier around them. The arrow glanced off and he countered the attack, spinning his staff effortlessly as he cast his spells.

The panicked mages removed the circle containing the spirit, shouting commands at it to kill the bandits. The spirit of wisdom grabbed its head, shaking it as if trying to block out their voices, to resist. But their commands were too strong. Unable to resist, but forced to act against its nature, the spirit let out an ear-piercing scream and fell to its knees. 

“NO!” Solas cried, turning in horror as the spirit mutated, taking on a monstrous form. Angry tears burned his eyes to watch it happen. For a moment he thought he might be sick. But there was nothing he could do, the bandits were the greater threat and he had to protect Jennifer. He cried out in anger, his throat nearly ripping, as he twirled his staff, attacking back with all the pain and rage that threatened to consume him. 

Jennifer watched, horrified as the spirit turned into a demon, it gave a monstrous roar and turned on the bandits. Fire and claws worked in tandem as the spirit laid waste to the men. Her eyes widened as it then turned onto the mages that summoned it. She felt sick to her stomach as she watched the foolish mages scream and started attacking it back. “Stop it!” she screamed at them, “Don’t kill it! Release it! It’s hurt! Just let it go and it will go back to normal!”  

The black haired, chubby mage turned back to her, wiping his sweaty hair out of his eyes, “Just shut up you stupid girl! It is a monster! We have no choice but to kill it!”

Solas narrowed his eyes at the mage. “How dare you,” he snarled, raising his staff to attack the mages, to stop them, when the thunderous sound of hooves met his ears and he turned to see the Inquisitor riding towards him, Sera and Vivienne in tow. “Inquisitor stop! Please!” he called, but his pleas fell on deaf ears as the demon turned to attack the newcomers. 

He despised himself as he joined in the fight. There was nothing for it, there was nothing left of his friend now and he had to protect the Inquisitor. If the Inquisitor died, if the anchor was lost… He couldn’t even entertain the idea. He fell to his knees with a broken cry when it was all over. This was not how he wanted it to end.

“I’m sorry, Solas,” the Inquisitor said. “I know that whatever that was used to be your friend. But it turned. It was dangerous. We didn’t have a choice.”

Solas stared at the spot where the demon had vanished. “It is not to blame,” he said, his shoulders slumping. His chest ached with grief at the loss of his friend. He narrowed his eyes as the mages approached him again. With a snarl, he forced himself to his feet. Every fiber of his being wanted to attack them, to rip them limb from limb, to transform into a wolf and sink his fangs into their throats. “You,” he hissed, stalking forward. “You tortured and killed my friend!”

Vivienne glared and moved to stand between Solas and the mages. “Really, my dear. What is the point in attacking them? They were simply trying to protect themselves on the road from those bandits. You saw. True, summoning a demon to protect themselves was rather ill advised, but you cannot fault them for killing it. We did what we had to do.” 

Jennifer’s eyes went wide and she felt herself growling at the woman, “Hey! It’s his friend! He has a right to see justice for the spirit! You wouldn’t let someone get away with murder! You are just being blinded because you don’t think a spirit can be someone’s friend!” She saw the First Enchanter’s eyes narrow at her and she nearly took a step back, but she didn’t want to budge. 

“Do not waste your breath trying to reason with her,” Solas spat venomously and turned to the mages again, even as they backed up, the pudgy one trying to reason with Solas. Before anyone could say a word to him, he attacked, killing them with a gesture. For a split second, he felt he had avenged his friend’s death. And then the rage and the hurt returned again all at once and he stood there, his shoulders shaking as he tried to fight the tears that stung his eyes. They had been so close, so very close to saving his friend, of freeing the spirit of wisdom before it had been turned. And that seemed even more infuriating. “Damn them all.”

Sera blinked in shock. She couldn’t remember ever seeing Solas that angry before; and she had pissed him off royally several times. It was so intense that she didn’t dare antagonize him now. She thought it was silly to be so upset over killing a demon, though. How many times had they killed demons before? Instead, she turned away, biting her lips shut. What a stupid waste of time.

Jennifer winced as Solas spat out the words. She had never really killed his friend in the game, always choosing to break the bindings instead. She could see his shoulders shaking and she looked around the group. Vivienne looked furious and was trying to tell the Inquisitor that he needed to be reprimanded for what he had done. The Inquisitor looked hurt that he had killed the demon in the first place. She exchanged a look with Sera and was surprised to see the elf with a somewhat sobered expression. She swallowed harshly and looked back at Solas, walking over to him. “I am so, so sorry.”

Solas breathed hard through his nose, trying to calm his temper and his grief. He reached for her and pulled her to his side, perhaps a little harsher than he meant to. He couldn’t look at the others right now for what they had done. For what he had been forced to do. It made him sick. Keeping his arm firmly around Jennifer’s shoulders, he turned them to go back the way they’d come. “We will meet you back at Skyhold,” he said stiffly to the Inquisitor as they walked past him. 

He hastily brushed a tear from his eye as he walked Jennifer back to the horse they’d dismounted. There was a hard knot in his throat and he didn’t trust himself to speak. He swung himself up onto the horse, then wordlessly reached out for her hand, pulling her up to sit behind him. Once she was settled and her arms were firmly around his waist, he slammed his heels against the horse’s sides, eager to put space between himself and this place. He had to. It didn’t matter where they went, so long as they escaped from here.

Jennifer swallowed as she wrapped her arms around Solas, pressing her face tightly against his back as they rode. She had never known exactly where Solas had gone the day that his friend was killed. A quiet spot to sleep. She also remembered that he had mentioned he seriously thought about not returning to Skyhold and the thought sent a flare of panic through her. Hopefully he wouldn’t. He would still come to the conclusion that he was needed, that he needed to see this through until the end. He would, right? “Solas, where are we going?” she asked quietly.

“Away,” he answered simply. Because at that moment, he didn’t know where they were going. Did it really matter? His friend was dead, someone he cared for, had spent countless hours with discussing all manner of things. And it meant nothing to those people. They used the spirit as a tool, like they had the right to command another being. The thought made him furious. And then the Inquisitor had to be a fool and follow them, rush into the battle without even listening to a word he said. He squeezed his eyes shut against the tears and urged the horse on faster.

He didn’t know how long they rode, but he could tell Jennifer was becoming worried and the horse was beginning to tire. He slowed the animal as they came to a wide creek and he slipped off the saddle, his knees weak. Whether from riding or from the emotions, he wasn’t sure. “AGH!” he screamed out, his hands clenched into fists as he sank to his knees. “I could have saved my friend if only they’d listened!” he growled through his teeth. “I could have done something!”

Jennifer pressed her lips together as she watched Solas stumble to the ground, pressing his fists into his face as he screamed out. She moved quickly, scrambling to get off the horse, her foot caught in the stirrup but she freed it a moment later and fell down to his side, wrapping her arms around him as he cried. “Shh, I know. I know it hurts.” She ached for him, her chest was tight as she held him as much as she could. 

He turned in her arms, wrapping his arms around her in return. A sob escaped him and he slumped to the ground, his head in her lap as he cried. “I’m sorry,” he gasped, screwing his face up as he tried to fight the tears. “I hate… for you to see me… like this.” He hugged her tighter as his chest heaved. Those people had no idea what they’d done. “My friend…” He curled in on himself, clinging to Jennifer, his heart breaking at the loss. “That spirit existed long before they did. It was kind, peaceful. My friend did not deserve such a fate.”

She was shocked; never before had she seen him like this and to be honest, it was a little frightening. Then again, it only made him seem more humble, down to earth. That even someone as powerful as he had friends with whom he had shared good times with, had death face him at every corner. He didn’t deserve this. She bent over him, hugging his head tightly as he sobbed into her thigh. She swallowed hard as she remembered a time when she cried so hard over the death of her parents. How she put her head in her grandma’s lap and sobbed for what seemed like days. She started humming a tune. A song, a spell that had been ingrained into her since she was very young.

Solas breathed a little easier, his eyes burning almost as badly as his heart. The soft tune from her throat seemed to console him, calm him in a way he wouldn’t think possible. He rested his cheek on her leg, his arms still around her, just breathing as the tears dripped from his nose. He knew he should be ashamed to cry in front of her, to appear so weak. But he couldn’t find it in him. Not now. It hurt too much right now to be ashamed on top of it all. He sniffed hard, his nose stuffy, and he sighed through parted lips. “I did not mean for you to see all of this today,” he said softly and closed his eyes, listening to her hum. When he spoke again, his voice was a whisper, “But I am glad you are with me.”

“Shhhh, dear heart,” she murmured quietly as she rubbed at his back, “Everyone cries. It’s a way of healing. Let it out or it hurts much more. I know, I think I felt the same way when I lost my parents. I thought the world ended, that there was no point any more. My grandmother told me to keep on going because there were people out there hurting just as much or more than me. I needed to be strong for my sister too. We helped each other move on and accept what happened. No matter how needless it was.” She stroked her fingers over his brow. She swallowed hard as she felt him shudder and cry more. “I’m here for you.”

Her cool fingers on his forehead soothed him, as did her hand that rubbed at his back. He didn’t deserve such kindness, but he couldn’t seem to get enough of it. He didn’t try to fight his tears anymore, letting them fall from his eyes as he clung to her. He swallowed again. “I do not know if I can return,” he murmured, his voice thick and heavy. “We should keep going, forge a new path. We could approach Corypheus from a different angle, find a way to recover my orb. After what happened today…” He sniffed again and choked, “I do not know if I want to associate with such barbaric thugs. To hell with them all.”

Jennifer watched him, seeing him staring off at nothing in particular as he grasped at her tightly. There it was. The decision to go, to leave the Inquisition, Skyhold and never look back. Moving forward with whatever plan he had with his orb. “And if we fail? You know that the Inquisition is the best hope at defeating Corypheus. From what I have seen, the only way. The orb always ends up smashed, drained of power by the Inquisitor. But without the Inquisitor, spirits keep getting pulled through the rifts, keep getting twisted into demons.”

He frowned at that. “If only I were stronger,” he said. “I could have unlocked the orb myself. Or I could stop Corypheus. I wouldn’t need the Inquisition to carry out my plan. I could have saved my friend today.” The hard knot was in his throat again and a splitting pain radiated through his skull. He winced, hissing in pain and leaned into her fingers again. His eyes fell closed and he suddenly felt exhausted. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered. Sorry for failing his friend, for the many mistakes he’d made along the way, for dragging Jennifer into all of this.

“Don’t be,” she said as she rubbed at his back, between his shoulder blades. Her other hand went to his face, rubbing gently between his eyes up to the pressure points above his brow, “You did what you had to do. You couldn’t have seen all of this coming. Don’t you doubt yourself, Solas.” She didn’t know what she could do for him, other than be some sort of guide for him, a staying point for him. “Go to sleep. Visit the place where your friend was in the Fade. Then when you wake up, I want you to tell me stories about your friend.”

He nodded, squeezing her again before he relaxed in her embrace. “Thank you, Jennifer,” he said softly. It would not take much for him to fall asleep. His limbs felt heavy and his eyes stung. His breathing leveled out as she began to hum to him again and before he knew it, he was fast asleep.


	18. Chapter 18

Solas slowly blinked awake, surprised to find his head still in Jennifer’s lap. He must’ve slept for quite a while, judging by the long shadows cast by the trees and the warm jewel tones the setting sun created in the sky. He reached up to slide his fingers into her hair, gently squeezing the back of her neck. It warmed his heart that she had sat with him while he slept. He had been unable to find his friend in the Fade, which was not unexpected but still disheartening. But waking up to this woman, to see the concern in her eyes, the affection there… A smile crossed his lips. “Vhenan,” he said softly to her.

Jennifer felt like she was in a trance, nearly dozing, but not quite as she sat there with Solas while he slept. She wondered if this is what her Inquisitor would have done with Solas while he grieved. It didn’t matter. It was what she had done, not the game. It was her own now. She smiled down at the elf, leaning into his touch before she rubbed at his shoulder. “Did you find what you needed to?”

“My friend was not there. Not that I expected it to be, but part of me had hoped…” He trailed off. “But something similar may reform there someday.” He sighed and moved to sit up, turning to face her. “I apologize for my actions earlier. I should not have reacted the way I did.” He looked down at her hands and took them in his own, stroking his thumb over her soft skin. “I’m sorry if I worried or frightened you. That was not my intent. I was not thinking clearly.”

“Hush,” she said as she studied him. She lifted her hands from his to cup his face, brushing at the dried tears under his eyes, then to his brow which was furrowed in sadness. “You have a right to not think clearly when dear friends are murdered in front of your eyes. You acted as anyone would.  You did your best and you are not to blame for what happened. You tried, that is what matters,” she said, “It is the others, you could only do so much. Does that make sense?”

He leaned into her touch as a sad smile pulled at his lips. “Must you always be so understanding?” he asked softly. What he had done to deserve someone like her, he didn’t know. He probably didn’t deserve her, truth be told. But she was here and he didn’t want to question it. He leaned closer to her, resting their foreheads together before he pressed a kiss to her lips. He pulled back, brushing his nose against hers, a question burning in his mind. “Will you come with me if I leave the Inquisition?” He still didn’t know if he could go back there, to be around the rest of them. Not after what had happened.

Her breath caught in her throat and she thought about the question. Her thoughts flew immediately to her sister, to Dorian, Varric, Bull, and Cassandra whom had become close to her after they had been pulled over into their world. It hurt to think about leaving them, but… She brushed her thumb over Solas’ high cheek bone. “I’ve never had an opportunity, never had a reason to just up and leave all that I know, knew, before coming here.” She let her hand drop to his neck, tracing at the cord there she could feel just beneath the skin. Her heart raced and ached at the thought of Solas leaving her again. After everything they had been through. “I would. I will,” she said, searching his eyes, “If I can say goodbye to my sister. She is so special to me. It would break my heart to lose both of you.”

A sense of relief and loyalty washed through him at her words. “Of course,” he answered. “We can return to Skyhold tomorrow, make plans.” But even as he said it, it made him feel selfish. Her sister was all she had in this world. Taking her away seemed wrong. Yet he didn’t know if he could go alone now, either. He searched her eyes, seeing a hurt there, and his heart sank. “Are you certain?” he asked.

Jennifer could see the worry in his face and she couldn’t help but remember her Gramma’s words to her whenever she made a face. “Careful, ma lath, if you hold your face like that for long, it’s going to get stuck that way,” she said as she gently brushed her thumbs over his eyebrows, trying to soothe away the wrinkles. “I’m sure,” she said, leaning forward and letting her head drop to his chest. His wolfbone jaw dug into her skin. “Lindsey and I, we’re connected. I know, no matter where life takes me, she won’t be far. She’d want me to be happy just as I want her to be happy.”

He wrapped his arms around her, holding her to his chest as he let out a slow exhale. He ran his hand up and down her back, his mind working about where he would go next, what his next course of action should be. “When we return to Skyhold, you must tell no one that we are planning to leave. We need time to make a plan, to prepare for what we must do next. Only when we’re ready to go may you say goodbye to her. I do not want to raise an alarm, for anyone to try to stop us or follow us. Leliana watches the both of us too closely already.”

She nodded, feeling a slight alarm rise up at the thought that Solas would leave before they defeated Corypheus. Shit, what would that do to the timeline of events? She might not be able to predict what was coming if they deviated too much. So much was starting to change and they had barely done anything. “As long as you are certain you want to leave before Corypheus is defeated. I’ve said it before, the Inquisition defeats him, but things are changing, I think. I’m not sure how or how much, but they are. It could be that my knowledge will be useless in a short while.” 

“Perhaps this is how we change it,” he answered. “Defeating Corypheus matters little if the orb is destroyed. That is what is important. We must recover the orb before it is broken. What you know of this world from the game you played may change greatly. But that does not take away from your abilities as a seer. You saw many things in your own world through other means, yes? You can still do that here.” He paused and smiled. “And I still believe we have not even begun to understand what powers you may possess, what you may be capable of.”

Jennifer chuckled and nodded against him, feeling an excitement bubble up inside of her at the thought of the unknown. Perhaps this was spontaneous and stupid, but she found she wanted it. It was her own choice and a chance at something new. Hopefully her sister would understand; she had a feeling she would. “Tea leaf readings and my suspicious magical abilities. Seems a little fanciful, but we will see won’t we?” She pulled back and rubbed at Solas’ hands, looking down at them as she studied their structure. She turned his hand over and traced the lines on his palm before she rubbed at the calluses that had formed there from what had to be centuries of wielding a staff. “I look forward to whatever comes next.”

He smiled again, letting her trail her fingertips over his palm. “As do I,” he said. He looked up as the sky began to darken and he suddenly wished he’d taken the time to pack up their tent that morning before they’d set out. “I should find us something to eat. I’m certain you must be hungry after watching over me all day,” he said, feeling guilty yet again. “Are you tired? We can sleep here tonight if you are. Or we can return to Skyhold if you think you are up for it.”

She laughed. “You say that as if watching you sleep was a burden on my part. It wasn’t, just so you know, but let’s stay out here for the night. I’m not so sure that you are ready to return. Though, the Winter Palace is right around the corner. We should head back tomorrow morning at the latest,” she said as she rubbed at his arm. She opened her mouth to answer his other question, but was interrupted as her stomach growled loudly and she blushed a deep red, looking away from him. 

He chuckled at her. “Stay here. I will find us something to eat,” he said as he got to his feet, stretching slightly. The creek nearby would provide fish and fresh water for them. That would be enough to get them through the night. His own stomach growled at him and he realized that neither of them had eaten at all that day. He bent double and kissed the top of her head before he turned and walked towards the water, thinking over their agreement and where their path might lead them next.

In no time at all, they had a fire blazing and the smell of roasting fish permeated the air. With the herbs she’d stored in her pack, Jennifer was able to season the fish to her liking and Solas found his stomach grumbling even louder. He laughed as he sat next to her and leaned over to kiss her cheek as she worked. “You spoil me,” he murmured in her ear, nuzzling at the side of her neck.

Jennifer laughed at the affectionate gesture. “It’s been a long time since anyone has really appreciated the food that my sister and I cook, so I’m not sure who is spoiling who here,” she said as she flipped the fish carefully before she turned her head to the side to plant a kiss on his lips before she looked back to the fire. “And are you a wolf or a cat? I swear I hear you purring sometimes,” she teased back at him.

Solas wrinkled his nose. “I am most decidedly not a cat,” he said. “Your little friend back at Skyhold is lucky I was in a decent mood when he decided to paint my desk. I am not what you would call a ‘cat person.’” He smiled as she offered him a piece of the fish skewered on a stick. He took it and blew across it for a moment before taking a bite. “Mmm,” he hummed, nodding his approval. “I am most definitely the one being spoiled.”

She smiled as she nodded and pulled the fish from the fire, handing him a stick and she sighed as she leaned back. “Sad that you aren’t a cat person, but I suppose a wolf is just as good,” she said as she reached out with her free hand and made a show of scratching behind his ear. “It is a shame you can’t transform into a wolf. Do you do that leg thing that all dogs do when you find the right spot or…” She couldn’t stop the chuckle that escaped her lips at the look he gave her, “Do you prefer belly rubs?”

Solas pinched the bridge of his nose, but couldn’t stop himself from laughing. “I suppose you will have to wait and see when I am stronger, capable of changing my form again,” he answered. If anyone but her had asked him such a thing, he would’ve been offended. But from her, he found it amusing. To be able to speak with her about such things, to have her know who he truly was and not fear him, was a welcome feeling. “Are you certain you wish to see me so? Most would be frightened.”

“Maybe, but I want to. I know it’s still you in there. What reason would I have to be scared?” she asked him as she looked down at her meal and took a bite as she looked him over, trying to imagine him as a wolf. There had been pictures and she knew what a wolf did look like, but it wasn’t the same thing as actually seeing it right in front of you. “My grandmother would have loved you. Your ass would be so sore from her attacks.” She grinned, “We’d go into the marketplace and she’d be inspecting all the men to see if she wanted to set Lindsey or I up with one and she’d be like, Mm look at that one girls. You could bounce a quarter off of it.” 

He nearly choked on the bite of fish in his mouth as he laughed. He managed to recover after a moment and had to take a drink of water to clear his throat. “Your grandmother sounds like an interesting person,” he commented. An amused smile played across his lips. “I’m certain she and Dorian would have had a remarkable time together.” He finished off the last of his fish, then tossed the stick into the fire. “Do you think she would have approved of you coming here?”

The question took her by surprise and she paused in eating to think about it. She could remember her clearly and she smiled, nodding. “Oh I think so. She’d probably say something about us coming here would give us a chance to live our wildest dreams instead of staring at them from the couch. She would have loved it here.” She couldn’t stop a snort that escaped her nose. “If she hadn’t passed away, I would have sworn up and down that all of this happening was something of her doing. She would do something like this to see Lindsey and I happy. This place… it definitely is a step up. I forgot what it was like to not have rocks thrown at us or people calling us witches and hating us for no apparent reason other than we were different.”

"Perhaps it is her doing, somehow," he pondered. He frowned though to think of her being so mistreated. "I know all too well what it is like to be hated by your own people, to have them curse your name because they do not understand. To have the truth twisted and used against you. Even if you try to explain it to them, they do not wish to hear it." He paused and gave her a sad smile. "Though we come from different worlds, it would seem you and I have much in common, vhenan."

Jennifer nodded, reaching out and giving his hand a squeeze. “A bit crazy, isn’t it?” She said as she scooted closer to him, looking him over in the fire light. She saw the shadows catching the scar on his forehead and she reached up, tracing over it with her index finger. “I’ve wondered about this too. One of the other so called gods throw a rock at you?” she asked before she withdrew her hand and pulled down the collar of her shirt a little bit to show him a scar on her collarbone that was similar. 

He reached out to gently trace the scar with his fingertip. “No,” he answered as he shook his head. “I was attempting to free one of Elgar’nan’s slaves. When he caught me, he was furious. I had already freed several of them. He attacked me, hit me with his staff.” He let out a mirthless laugh. “He paid the price in the end. For that and many other transgressions.”

She winced and touched the scar again. “Shit, that bastard. At least he got what was coming to him. You killed him?” she asked before letting her hand drop down to his neck, stroking gently at the soft skin there. She didn’t know why, but she just couldn’t stop touching him. Maybe because he was real, maybe because she felt connected to him in a way she probably shouldn’t. She didn’t care any more. It didn’t matter that this wasn’t considered real. It WAS real. Her heart pounded at the revelation and she urged him closer, pressing long kiss to his lips. 

He was glad for the distraction of a kiss. He didn’t want to have to explain it all to her now. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him as he kissed her back. After a long moment he finally pulled back, knowing he couldn’t avoid giving her some sort of answer. “No, I did not kill him or any of the others. Death was too good for them,” he answered. “But that is a story for another time. It is late and if we wish to return to Skyhold tomorrow, we must get an early start.”

Jennifer blinked at Solas, confused. She was certain that he had murdered the other gods, but maybe she had it all wrong. “Okay, but I’m going to want the whole story later. I hated guessing what happened to you after you ran off from the Inquisition at the end of the game, Mister,” she said as she poked at his chest, letting a smile grow over her face, “You sure you want me around all the time? You’ll be stuck with me if you take me with you. Yes, you could leave me somewhere, but I warn you that I have a tracking spell that’s really good and you promised to protect me!” 

He chuckled as he got to his feet and stretched. “I would have it no other way,” he answered, reaching down for her hand and pulling her to stand. His gaze softened as he stared into her eyes. “How could I leave you now?” he asked softly, then leaned in to kiss her. His heart ached at the thought of being apart from her now. True, falling for someone, especially a human, had not been part of his plans. Then again, none of this had. But he cared far too much now to turn back. “There is no one else I would rather have by my side,” he said softly. “And you are right. I did make a promise. Fortunately for me, the only way I can keep that promise is to take you with me.”

She smiled up at him, slipping her arms around his waist. “Well, good,” she said leaning her head forward against his chest, breathing him in. He smelled of old books, elfroot and spice. She swallowed carefully as she felt him trembling slightly. “Solas. Are you going to be okay? I mean, really. I know what happened. It’s never easy. It’s easy to lose yourself to those emotions. I don’t want to lose you. To guilt or anything else.”

He considered her for a moment, thinking over her words. He licked his lips before he spoke again. “It hurts,” he admitted. “But I will be alright. One would think that I would be used to this by now.” He slipped his fingers between hers, pulling her over to a softer spot beneath the trees, yet still close enough to the fire to discourage anything that might wish to attack them as they slept. “Do not worry about me, vhenan. You will not lose me, in any fashion. I swear it.”

Jennifer let him pull her down next to her and she settled against him, curling up to his side. She let her fingers curl around the wolfbone necklace he wore, tracing the teeth. “I’d better not,” she said before she looked up at him, “Now, before we sleep. I know we’ll be heading back to Skyhold, but first. You promised a story about your friend. A small one?” She chuckled at the look on his face and she nodded. “Okay, if you don’t tell me now, I reserve the right to have you tell me later at a time of my choosing.” 

He settled back, tucking one arm behind his head as he wrapped the other around her, pulling her closer to his side. He stared up at the first stars in the sky, sighing softly. “I suppose I could tell you one,” he said, the corner of his mouth twitching in a smile as he thought back. “I remember the first time I encountered my friend. One night as I was exploring the Fade…”


	19. Chapter 19

“That’s so weird how things changed since you were with Solas,” Lindsey said as she sat at the vanity, looking at the reflection of her sister behind her. “I mean, I guess they didn’t change drastically, but in the game his friend was already changed by the time they arrived.” She looked over the selection of makeup in front of her, finally selecting the one she was looking for. It amazed her that this world had such a selection to choose from, but then again it shouldn’t have, knowing what she did about Orlais. She made a face in the mirror as she painted the mascara over her eyelashes. “Makes you wonder how much everything might change in the end, ya know?”

Jennifer pressed her lips thin before she turned her attention back to slipping her shoes on. “I know. I have a feeling it’s going to be changing a lot more before it’s over. That scares me. The thought of not knowing. Then I suppose, it’s just like life. Just like back home. As long as people don’t throw rocks at us, I’ll be happy. Oh and no burning down our home. That too,” she said before she stood up. 

“Yeah, no shit,” Lindsey agreed as she finally turned away from the mirror, the full skirt of her navy colored dress rustling as she moved. “I’m not too worried about people here. They’re used to magic way more intense than what we do, right? Besides, we might even fit in in Orlais. They like weird there, don’t they?” she asked with a slight laugh. She regarded her sister for a minute, a smile pulling at her lips. “That black and white looks really good on you. Dorian did an excellent job.”

She laughed and did a little twirl for her sister. “I know right? Just enough that it doesn’t look like a wedding dress,” she said as she stopped her spinning and put her hands on her waist. “Think that’s about it then? We will have to go and put up with those horrible Winter Palace unifor…” She cut off as a horror washed through her. “Oh no. No no no no,” she muttered over and over, heading for the door, “Maybe, maybe it’s not too late.”

Lindsey blinked in surprised and hurried after her sister, hitching up her skirt so she didn’t trip herself. “What? What is it?” she asked, worry suddenly filling her chest. Her sister had looked truly horrified. “Jen! What’s the matter?” But her sister was practically running through Skyhold. “You’re going to mess up your hair!” she called after her. She scowled. “This better not mess up my hair.” She nearly skidded to a stop as they entered the Great Hall. Everyone else was already there, dressed in their uniforms and ready to go. Everyone, that is, except Solas. She followed Jennifer through the hall and towards Josephine’s office.

“Ambassador, I must refuse,” Solas said stubbornly. He had agreed to wear the uniform, but that hat… He sighed heavily and had to refrain from rolling his eyes. If Jennifer hadn’t been so looking forward to this, he would’ve insisted that they leave before now. He actually took a step back from Josephine as she held the hat out to him insistently.

“But it will look so good on you!” she pressed. “At least try it on! It is the latest fashion in Orlais. Do you know how long it took me to find one that would match the Inquisition’s uniforms?” Really, she had spent a great deal of time planning this and she was hurt that he wouldn’t even entertain the idea. “We want to present the best possible face to the court. First impressions are everything! Solas,  please wear the hat.”

“Drop the hat, back away and no one gets hurt!” Jennifer practically yelled through the door that led to the Ambassador’s office before she burst in. Her eyes narrowed as she zeroed in on the hat and she rushed forward, snatching it out of Josephine’s hands. “Stop. He is not wearing this monstrosity. You are making him commit the greatest offense against fashion and you know it!” She looked back at the elf, drinking in how natural it looked for him to wear the uniform, even though the colors hurt her eyes. “He’s perfect without it.”

Solas’ breath was stolen away the moment his eyes fell upon her. A smile crossed his lips as he drank in the vision, the black bodice that made her skin absolutely glow, the pristine white that set it all off. He opened his mouth to compliment her, but was cut across by Josephine.

“It is not that bad!” the ambassador cried, looking down at the hat in Jennifer’s hands. Calling it a monstrosity offended her. But now that she looked at it, really looked at it, a frown pulled at her lips. “The merchant insisted that it was in fashion,” she said, deflating a bit. She looked up, meeting Jennifer’s eyes with a hurt look. “Do you really hate it that much?”

“Yes! I’ve seen him wear this hat and it is NOT GOOD,” Jennifer insisted. “Besides, I think you are trying to be discriminating here. Why does no one else in the Inquisition have to wear them?” she protested, pausing when she heard snickering behind her and she turned, narrowing her eyes at her sister, Dorian, and Bull. “Dorian! Tell her how bad this hat is!”

“Oh, but my dear, you heard what the dear Ambassador said! That hat is the pinnacle of Orlesian fashion. Solas would be insane not to wear it!” He pressed his lips firmly together as he fought the grin that was trying to work it’s way onto his face. He wouldn’t be caught dead wearing such an atrocity. “Go on, Solas, put it on and give us a look. I’ll bet you will be rather dashing.”

Solas gave Dorian a deadpan stare, clearly not impressed with the other mage. The one time he actually wanted Dorian’s input, and the little shit had to antagonize him like this. “I believe it would look far better on you, Master Pavus,” he replied coldly. He turned to Josephine again. “I appreciate the effort you put into this, Ambassador, but I must decline,” he said with finality and moved to take Jennifer’s hand, pulling her over to him. “You look radiant, vhenan,” he said softly.

Jennifer let out a breath as Solas pulled her closer and she felt her face blush as she felt his eyes move over her. She reached up and let her finger run along the blue sash that crossed his chest and she smiled up at him. “Thank you, Solas,” she said as she rubbed her thumb over his knuckles. “You look very handsome. I’m glad you didn’t wear the hat. I’ve been worried about it more than I should admit,” she said as she tilted her head, “Rather silly of me, but there you have it.”

Solas laughed at that. “Thank you for protecting me from the latest Orlesian fashion,” he chuckled. He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “I had no idea you were that concerned.”

“You made me chase you through this place because of a goddamn HAT?” Lindsey cried, standing there pink-faced and slightly out of breath. “Jeezus, Jen, you could’ve just chucked it later. I could’ve ruined my hair running after you. Do you know how long it took to get this mess to look like this?!” she asked, pointing at her hair. She turned sharply and slapped Dorian’s arm. “You could’ve prevented this instead of being an instigator,” she hissed.

“Is everything alright?” Cullen said loudly as he hurried into the Ambassador’s office, moving past Dorian and Iron Bull. “I heard shouting and people are saying that Jennifer and Lindsey were runn…” He cut off as he looked around the office, his eyes landing on Lindsey immediately. “Oh.” He couldn’t breathe as his eyes drank in the vision of her. She was absolutely stunning. Her dress navy, but the top was covered in crystals so white they looked like starlight. They brightened her face and made her eyes shine. “Maker’s breath, but you’re beautiful,” he said quietly, stunned. 

Lindsey turned, her face blushing at the commander’s compliment. She managed a small smile for him. “Thank you,” she said and crossed the room to him, taking him by the arm and leading him back to the Great Hall. There it was again, that breathless fluttery feeling. Even though she had never been a fan of the uniforms the Inquisition wore, she had to admit he wore it well. “You look fantastic,” she said and paused in her steps to press a kiss to his cheek. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to fight off all the Orlesians with you looking this good. You might get your butt pinched after all.”

He felt a blush creep up on his cheeks and he rubbed the back of his neck. “Now you know we had an agreement,” he said as he offered her his arm, “I’m going to literally use you as a human shield at the Palace. Unless of course, I see some nobles starting to get a little bit too friendly with you. Maker’s breath, are you certain you want to go to this? We could stay here and just enjoy each other’s company.” He lifted a hand to cup her cheek a moment before he trailed a hand to follow a strand of red hair that curled enticingly to her shoulder. 

She smiled at him. “Yes, I want to go,” she insisted. “I want to show you off. Make everyone else jealous. Besides, Josephine wouldn’t let us back out now even if our heads caught fire.” She stepped closer to him, sliding her arm around his waist. “You’re needed tonight. And don’t worry, I’ll make it up to you when we get back,” she said in a low voice. An ornery smile crossed her lips and she pinched his rear, laughing as he jumped.

Cullen’s eyes went wide and he looked at Lindsey in disbelief. “I don’t believe this! Am I to just be bait, some kind of toy used for everyone else’s enjoyment?” But he couldn’t hold the look very long and he smiled at her a moment later before he laughed and kissed her forehead. “Only you.” He looked over as a messenger came in and announced that the carriages were ready that would take them to the Winter Palace. 

She smiled and took Cullen’s arm again, letting him lead her towards the doors. “Don’t let me trip on the stairs, okay? That’s just what I need, to face-plant out there and bust my nose. Dorian would never let me hear the end of it,” she said. She waved at Cassandra and Varric who were preparing to head out to the carriages as well. 

“Ugh, I am so glad you hid me the day they went to Orlais,” Cassandra muttered to Varric as she caught sight of the dresses Jennifer and Lindsey wore. The garments were beautiful, she would admit that, but she wouldn’t be caught dead in one. “Can you imagine me in such a thing? And Dorian would’ve tried to stuff me into one. I guarantee you that.”

Varric looked over at the women in their dresses; Dorian had done a fantastic job. “I think Sparkler is just living through them at the moment. He’s lamenting the fact that he was stuffed into one of these Inquisition uniforms,” he said as he led Cassandra out to the carriage, his hand resting in the small of her back. To be honest, he was almost excited to be going. “You know how I feel about you in any type of clothing, Seeker. The dresses wouldn’t look bad on you, but I would just have to help you out of it,” he said as he gave her a wink, “Besides, I’m going to save my cards and ask for a dance instead.”

Cassandra honestly hadn’t even thought about dancing. To her, this was a mission, not an excuse to party. A blush touched her cheekbones and she was grateful for the cool air as they walked outside. “I suppose it will not be nearly as bad as the dancing back in the other world,” she said, remembering the club they’d been taken to. Now that had been awkward and uncomfortable. “And I do not see why everyone is complaining about the uniforms. They are practical and far less stuffy than many of the things I have seen in Orlais. If there is a fight, these will be much better,” she said, running a hand appreciatively down the sleeve of the jacket. “I only wish my armor would have fit underneath it.”

Varric tilted his head back and laughed. “Ah, only you would say that,” he said as they stopped outside of the carriage and he opened the door with a flourish, gesturing that she go in ahead of him. He caught her hand as she started to climb in and tugged her down for a quick kiss before he let her go, “Guess it’s too much to hope that we’ll be alone in this carriage on the way there.”

She smiled at that. “It is a shame. Though I do not think the driver would be very impressed with us if we did have it all to ourselves,” she answered, then climbed inside, settling herself in one of the seats. She scooted close to the window and let Varric sit next to her. “Although I must admit, I would rather ride in one of these than to go on horseback.” She wrinkled her nose at the thought; she was no fan of horses.

“Aww, what’s wrong with horses?” Lindsey asked as she let Cullen help her into the carriage. She grinned at the Commander as he got in as well and sat across from her,  followed by Jennifer and Solas. “I love horses. Though I can’t imagine trying to ride one in this dress.”

“See?” Cassandra countered as the door to the carriage was shut and it gave a lurch as the driver clucked to the horses pulling it. “Just another reason dresses are inconvenient. Although I still cannot decide if Josephine chose these uniforms for practicality or because she knew she would never manage to get me into one of those.”

“But Seeker, you would have looked ravishing in one of the dresses Dorian chose for tonight’s affair,” Solas said, unable to stop himself from teasing her. He had to slightly bite the inside of his cheek to keep himself from smirking at the look she shot him.

Cassandra narrowed her eyes. “And you would have looked good in the hat.”

Varric chuckled and patted Cassandra’s arm before he looked over to Solas. “Easy there, Chuckles. You want to end up with a broken arm?” he asked before he settled back against the seat, tugging Cassandra to lean against him. “I’d be perfectly happy with the uniforms if Ruffles hadn’t made the neck area so tight,” he said, tugging at the collar a moment before he gave up and shrugged. He looked between everyone and couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped him. “Firefly, you look well and truly sandwiched over there and happy about it.” 

Jennifer couldn’t keep the grin off her face as she looked at Cullen and then back at Solas before she scooted closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder. “Ah, it’s the simple things in life that make me happy. Though, I have to admit, I’m not sure if I’m ready for dancing in the Winter Palace. It all looks rather… rehearsed.”

“We could always bust some dance moves from back home. That would entertain the court,” Lindsey said, snickering at the thought. Oh, poor Cullen would die of embarrassment if she tried to do that with him. “Not sure the music has enough of a beat to do that, though.” She looked Cullen up and down, wondering if she could talk him into a dance. She’d wait and ask him later though so he wasn’t on the spot in front of everyone in the carriage. She gave a jump and steadied herself as the carriage jostled over the road. “Man, what I wouldn’t give to have my SUV here.”

Solas comfortably put his arm around Jennifer, taking care not to mess up her hair. “The dancing is simple enough if you have a decent partner,” he said, already thinking about enjoying a few dances with Jennifer if he had the chance. Though he still planned on leaving the Inquisition as soon as possible, he would do his job while he was still with them. At least for the night. Once all the fuss with the ball was over, it would be easier to slip out unnoticed when the Inquisitor was out closing rifts or dealing with other matters. But that could be worried about later. For tonight, he just wanted to enjoy some time with his vhenan. “If you are worried about the steps, don’t be,” he said to Jennifer. “I will show you.”


	20. Chapter 20

“So, about the only thing I learned from playing through this part was that the servants are your best friends and the Orlesians are puffed up, playing for their own gain and ignoring mostly everything,” Jennifer said as she stood with Solas in his usual spot in the Winter Palace. She had to admit, he looked so natural standing there, leaning against the statue, drink casually held in his hand. They both offered their glasses to the elven servant that came by to refill them before moving on. “Though this spiced wine is fantastic. The game couldn’t do it justice,” she said as she moved closer to stand next to Solas, watching the way his eyes flickered around the area. She was very tempted in that moment to give his butt a squeeze. “Guess we would be noticed if we disappeared for a moment.”

He smiled at that. “I do not think we would be missed. But I fear we may miss something important if we do not pay attention,” he said and sipped carefully from his glass. She was right about the wine; it was superb. He reached out and placed a hand on her waist, his thumb tracing the delicate black lace overlay. “Though I am sorely tempted to take you up on the offer,” he said, looking her over. She was a vision in that dress. His mouth ran dry as his eyes trailed down her neck to the hint of cleavage the dress revealed. He met her eyes again, the sultry look there. “I shall blame Dorian for creating such a distraction. You are lovely this evening.”

“You are certainly the charmer,” she said as she leaned in and kissed his lips, sighing out against him before she pulled back. “And don’t say anything. They don’t know who I am. I doubt the Inquisition’s reputation will fall very much from me kissing the elven serving man.” She gave him a wink. “I fully expect to be ‘served’ later,” she teased him before she let him pull her to his side once more. “Dorian does have excellent tastes. Sorry he tried to trick you with that hat thing. I much rather prefer you like this,” she said as she let her eyes look over his bare head.

Solas sighed heavily. “He certainly enjoys goading me about fashion at every given opportunity,” he said and took another healthy swallow of his wine. He shook his head as he smacked his lips. “Ah, he is young and immature,” he said. “Or perhaps I am old and stuffy,” he added with a slight chuckle. “Don’t worry about the hat. I can tolerate Dorian, to an extent.” He looked at her and smiled, shifting slightly as his length twitched at the thought of spending some time together with her later. “And I shall take you up on that offer. In fact I am finding it rather difficult to keep my hands to myself at the moment,” he said in a low voice.

Jennifer couldn’t stop the shiver that ran down her spine at the low tone he used and the way his thumb brushed over her hip. “Mm, the night can’t be over fast enough.” She sighed and turned to nuzzled at his neck, purring against his ear, “I have to admit, my mind is coming up with the most wonderful and inventive ways to have you all to myself, in and out of that uniform.” She coyly looked around the room, seeing a few nobles glancing their way only to huff and look away in disgust. Those fools. They didn’t know what they were missing.

It was his turn to shiver, her words, her warm breath on his ear, the way her lips brushed against him. “Easy, vhenan,” he said quietly. “Or I may steal you away to myself for a bit.” He bit the inside of his cheek, hard, trying to think of anything but sneaking off to a private room and absolutely ravishing her. He turned to her, leaning his forehead against hers. “Why must you do this to me?” he asked quietly, his voice husky as he pulled her closer. He was unconcerned with the nobles and what they thought of him. If anything, the public display of affection was useful to keep the nobles at a distance.

She chuckled. “Don’t threaten me with a good time,” she warned him as she studied his face, reaching up and cupping his cheek before she brushed her thumb over the high cheekbone. “I’ll make it up to you later, ma lath,” she said, letting the elven roll of her tongue. She felt a bit silly for using it, but eh, when in Rome. She’d demand he teach her some elven later.

He smiled at her use of his language. “Ma lath,” he repeated to her, leaning into her touch. It warmed his heart to hear her use it. “You continue to surprise me,” he said before he captured her lips in a searing kiss. Never did he think he would find someone like her. He pulled her tighter to him, tasting the wine on her tongue, uncaring of who might’ve been watching them. 

Jennifer sighed against him, relaxing into the kiss. It was sad, she spent all that time with Dorian and her sister picking out her wonderful dress and now the only thing she could think of was getting out of it. Reluctantly, she pulled back and straightened her posture again, moving to stand next to Solas, intent on behaving herself for at least a few more minutes. Though her hand wandered to his backside and gave it an appreciative squeeze. “Mm, I just can’t seem to help myself around you,” she snickered, “I wonder if Cullen and Lindsey are having any more luck. Or fun.”

Solas gave a slight jump, then shook his head at her as he grinned. “You are nothing but trouble, vhenan,” he scolded, but stood straighter as his eyes scanned the room, watching carefully. It was the servants that would give them the most clues about the goings on in the palace, not the other nobles. “We will have our time together tonight. I promise. Just as soon as matters here are handled.”

* * *

 

Cullen was certain that Hell existed and that he was now in it. Why the Maker thought he deserved such a punishment, he had no idea. He planted himself next to a table in the ballroom, his back firmly pressed against the wall and his arm securely around Lindsey as he held her close. The table did little good when a noble ducked under it to give his rear a squeeze and he jumped, moving back away. “I… did you just, grab my bottom?!” he exclaimed, looking down, horrified. “I am certain that my Lady does not appreciate the attentions you all are giving me!” It was no use. Like trying to talk a rock into moving out of the way. They all just giggled and gossiped to each other. 

Though she’d always found it amusing in the game, Lindsey now was less than impressed with these nobles. They were relentless. And the more Cullen tried to avoid them, the more it just seemed to encourage them. She shot a look at the one who had been bold enough to actually get under the table in order to reach Cullen. “Yes, I know his ass is irresistible. That’s why it’s MINE. Now shoo!” she scolded, smirking proudly as the noble seemed to deflate in discouragement and wandered off, the rest of Cullen’s admirers laughing at the poor fool. “Honestly,” she huffed and leaned into his side. “You want me to start kicking them? Cause I will.”

“Ugh, don’t tempt me,” he muttered under his breath as he tried to relax against the wall. “This night cannot be over soon enough.” He rubbed at his face a moment before he looked to Lindsey, smiling at her warmly. “I think you are the only redeeming quality about this night. Have I mentioned how radiant that dress looks on you? You are beyond stunning. How these nobles still think I’m the prize while standing next to you is beyond me,” he said quietly before he dipped his head and caught her lips in a gentle kiss, “Thank you, by the way. I don’t think I would have made it through this night if you weren’t here to defend my honor.”

She giggled at that. “That’s what I’m here for,” she grinned and rubbed her nose against his. “And don’t act so shocked that all of these people want a piece of you. Stop pretending you don’t know how sexy you are,” she teased and gave him a wink. She reached out and snatched two glasses of wine from the tray a servant carried, then handed one to Cullen. “Here. This might make them more tolerable,” she said. “Or make us more adamant about them leaving you alone. Either way, we win.” She clinked her glass against his before taking a drink. “Too bad you didn’t get to come to my world. You should see the dancing there.” She paused and snickered. “I can just imagine the blush on your face.”

“You know, I think I’m beginning to suspect that you enjoy making me uncomfortable. Dorian mentioned the dancing during a chess game. I think I would have to pass. How people in your world find that kind of display… acceptable in the public is beyond me. From the way he described it, they were all practically having sex out on the dance floor!” he said, feeling the blush creeping over his cheeks. He closed his eyes trying to will it away before he took a healthy swallow of his wine and sighed into the cup, “There’s not enough wine here for this.”

Lindsey pressed her lips together, trying to hide her smile. “Oh come on, Commander. It’s fun! I could teach you,” she offered and bumped her hip against his. She tried to stop herself from laughing at the look on his face and ended up snorting through her nose. “And yes, I do enjoy seeing you like this. That blush on your face is adorable,” she said and leaned up to press a kiss to his hot cheek. She tipped her head to nibble at his ear. “And later, I intend to make you blush all over.”

He couldn’t stop himself from shivering and he let his eyes close for a moment as his mind came up with all sorts of delicious thoughts about that. “Little minx. I might take you up on that offer now, if it gets me away from all of these grabbing hands.” He reached down and lifted her free hand to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to her knuckles. “Because your attentions are the only ones that I desire, my lady,” he purred to her, leaning their heads close together. He remembered waking up to her coming back to bed. Their bare bodies warm against each other as they just enjoyed one another until the day demanded his attention. He wanted more mornings like that with her. “I promise to take a day off when we return to Skyhold.”

“Really?” she asked excitedly. She couldn’t stop the grin from spreading across her face. He always worked so hard, rarely taking a moment for himself. The idea made her ridiculously happy for some reason. “That sounds wonderful. I don’t even care if all we do is hide in your room all day long,” she said. An excited squeal interrupted her and she turned to see a young woman dragging Josephine straight towards them. She immediately recognized Yvette Montilyet and she couldn’t help herself from snickering at the exasperated expression on Josephine’s face. 

“Oh Josephine! Is this her? One of the women from the other world who tells fortunes?” she asked excitedly, her dark eyes blinking widely behind her gold mask.

“Yes,” Josephine nearly growled, her irritation with her sister evident in her voice. She stood straighter, trying her best to be proper when all she really wanted to do was to whap her sister upside her head. “May I present my sister, Yvette Gabriella Montilyet,” she said as courteously as possible. “Yvette, this is Commander Cullen and his guest Lindsey Owens.”

“There are so many wondrous rumors about you and your sister!” Yvette gushed. “Is it true that you know the future? That you came from another world?”

Lindsey couldn’t help but to laugh slightly, both at Yvette’s enthusiasm and Josephine’s exasperation. “Yes, I’m from a different world” she answered. “And I can sometimes see things about a person’s future, if I have the proper tools. Unfortunately, the cards I use were lost before I came here.”

Yvette actually whined, her shoulders drooping. “Aw, but I had hoped you could tell my fortune!” she pouted. “What are these cards? Perhaps we can find you a new deck! Surely there is one lying around here somewhere.” She looked around her as if expecting a deck to materialize out of thin air. 

“Yvette,” Josephine growled again in a warning tone. “I am certain Miss Owens has better things to do with her time than to entertain your silly notions…”

“It’s okay, Josephine,” Lindsey said. “Here, Yvette, give me your hand.” She held out her own expectantly. It was more than obvious that the nobles standing around Cullen were interested. They looked curiously at her, some craning their necks to get a better look. Oh well. At least it took some of the attention off the commander for a moment. “I won’t bite,” she laughed as Yvette hesitated, then placed her hand in Lindsey’s.

Lindsey turned the other woman’s hand over in hers so that her palm was facing up. “Palmistry is reading the unique lines in someone’s hand. I can learn all sorts of things about you, and possibly about your future.” She looked up to see an excited look in Yvette’s eyes, and smiled as she looked back down at her palm. “For instance, I can tell from this line here that you fall in love easily,” she said, tracing the heart line of Yvette’s palm. “But it’s wavy, so you may do this several times over the course of your life.”

Yvette gasped with wonder and stared at her palm as if trying to decipher it herself, while Josephine crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes. “That sounds like you, Yvette.”

“Hush, Josie!”

Lindsey tried not to snicker. Yvette reminded her of the young girls who would sneak to her house at night to have their cards read. “I can see that you’re creative and spontaneous. And full of energy.” She paused and studied the life line of Yvette’s hand, then grabbed her other hand to compare the two. Oh, she didn’t like things like this. “Okay, sweetheart, you need to be careful. There’s something concerning your health coming your way. Sickness or injury. I can’t say which, exactly, but you need to take care of yourself.”

Josephine tipped her head slightly at that, staring at her sister’s hand, a worry filling her chest. “Are you certain? How can you see that?” she demanded. Her sister was careless at best. For Yvette to end up hurt somehow would not surprise her in the slightest.

“I can see it in the lines,” Lindsey answered simply without looking up. “You’ll recover, so that’s good. But just keep it in mind.” She moved Yvette’s hand, bending it up slightly to read the bracelet lines around her wrist. “Yeah, see? You’re going to have a long life, so whatever it is you experience, it won’t be life threatening.”

“Oh thank the Maker!” Yvette cried, absolutely eating it up. “This is so fascinating! Can you see if I will get married? How many children will I have?”

Yes, just like the girls back home. Lindsey had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. She studied the side of Yvette’s palm. “Yes. About five years from now or so? And you will have two children,” she answered, tracing the two thin lines that crossed the marriage line on Yvette’s hand. She smiled and let go of the other woman’s hand. “You’re going to have a long, happy life. Just try to keep your feet on the ground.”

Yvette happily clapped her hands. “Oh, that was marvelous!” she squealed. “Thank you so much!” 

Josephine rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Come now, Yvette,” she said in a firm tone. “We must be going.” She gave a nod to Cullen, then grabbed her sister by the elbow and marched her away.

“I shouldn’t be surprised,” Lindsey said to Cullen as she watched them go. “But I am. Different world, different people, same old questions.”

Cullen chuckled as he slid his arm around her waist as he watched the crowd only grow. Some people, though their faces were hidden by masks, were very interested and he even saw a servant, with eyes wide and full of wonder, run off to probably tell others of the strange woman from the other world who could tell fortunes. “I’m not entirely sure if I am comfortable with they way they are looking at you,” he said as another noble came up and asked what their chances were of coming into wealth in the next few months would be.

Lindsey felt her stomach twist in a knot at Cullen’s words, but she managed a smile for the noble and looked at his palm. The court judged everyone for every little thing they did. She suddenly worried that she was drawing too much attention, that she was somehow making the Inquisition look bad. That she might be making Cullen look bad. As she read the lines of the noble’s hand, her mind worked to try to figure out how to stop this before it got out of hand, no pun intended. Though she normally didn’t sugar-coat readings for people, she thought perhaps it was in her best interest to do so now. She told the noble that he would, in fact, be coming into some money within the next six months or so. She declined to tell him that it would be an inheritance from the passing of a loved one. 

“Oh look!” she said, feigning more interest than she actually felt, as another noble tried to step forward. “The dancing’s started! Isn’t that the Inquisitor? Cullen, we should go watch.” She gave him a pointed look as she said it.

Cullen blinked at her and a moment later he caught on and nodded, offering his arm to her. “Yes, of course! If you all will excuse us,” he said as he led Lindsey away from the crowd. He was confused as he led them around the ballroom. “Is everything alright? Were the nobles starting to make you uncomfortable as well?” he asked and looked back over his shoulder, “Though, I daresay you are a real hit.” He chuckled and patted her arm.

“I just didn’t want to draw too much attention to myself,” she answered. “Although I think I might already have. I don’t want to make the Inquisition look bad somehow. To make you look bad. I…” She swallowed hard as they came to the railing and looked over the dancefloor to see the Inquisitor. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly. She chewed her bottom lip worriedly. “I should have been more cautious. I enjoy doing it so much, I wasn’t thinking.” She gave him a sheepish smile. “There’s a reason people always thought my sister and I were weird. And that was it,” she said, jerking her thumb over her shoulder.

Cullen laughed and turned her towards him before he lifted her chin with his fingers so he could look at her. “My dear Lindsey, if anything that performance was increasing the Inquisition’s reputation here. As for me, I could care less what they think of me.” His voice dropped low and he brushed his thumb over her lips. “You are the only one who I care about impressing tonight,” he said before he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her mouth.

She shivered as she wrapped her arms around him, her eyes falling shut. His words relieved her more than she thought they would have. She kissed him back, a soft moan escaping her throat. “You’ve already impressed me,” she said softly, reaching up to give the back of his neck a squeeze. She met his golden brown eyes and her knees went weak with the intensity she saw in his gaze. “You know, for the past two weeks, all I could think about was wearing this dress, seeing you in that uniform, and now all I can think about is getting out of these clothes.”

“Maker,” he breathed and looked around a moment before he took her hand and quickly led them out of the ballroom, his eyes scanning the hallway he led her down, avoiding all of the nobles. He spotted the little closet tucked away into the corner of the vestibule and pulled her to it, looking around as she stood next to him as he worked the door open. The most predictable thing about Orlesians was that they were lavish to a fault and he couldn’t hold in his breath of relief when he saw the large storage space that was behind the door. Quickly he stepped inside and pulled Lindsey after him, shutting the door quickly and barred it with a spare chair that was inside. He gave her a brief smile before he pulled her to him, claiming her lips in a searing kiss as he pulled her flush against him.

Lindsey’s heart raced as she found herself secluded in the closet with Cullen, his lips pressed firmly against her own. Even through all the layers of her skirt, she could feel him pressing up against her. “Cullen,” she gasped as she tilted her head to the side, letting his press hot, needful kisses to the side of her neck. She cupped his hard length through his pants, rubbing her palm against it. “We don’t have much time. They’ll notice if we’re gone too long.” She kissed back at his neck, catching his skin in her teeth. “Oh gods, I want you,” she breathed. 

He groaned against her. “Ugh, I’m willing to take the chance that they’ll miss us,” he breathed before he picked her up, moving her over to a dusty desk that had been pushed to the side and sat her on it before his hands went to fumble with his trousers, making short work of the belt and baring himself to her. He stepped between her legs, lifting her dress up as he felt between her legs. He moaned out against her, pressing his face into her neck as his fingers passed over her slick folds. “Maker, you are soaking,” he moaned as his cock gave a twitch.

She gave a soft cry as his fingers teased her sex and she grabbed his shoulders to steady herself. “You make me that way,” she breathed in his ear as she wrapped her fingers around his strong length, stroking it quickly. It was thrilling to sneak away with him like this, to know that they might be caught coming out of the closet looking thoroughly disheveled. “Take me, Cullen,” she begged, rocking against his fingers. “Please!”

He nodded against her and pulled his hand away from her to grasp himself, leaning in to kiss her deeply as he rubbed the head of his cock against her before he pushed in, drawing out a deep groan from both of them. He bit his lip as he dropped his head to her shoulder as his hips became flush with her own. “Andraste’s grace, you feel so good.” He kissed at her skin, the soft place behind her ear as he pulled out and thrust back inside of her tight heat. He could feel his blush growing on his face. That he would do something like this, he never would have thought it possible. “Sweet Maker, the things I’ll do for you.”

Her heart warmed to hear that from him and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, rocking to meet his quick thrusts. She kissed his lips passionately, slipping her tongue into his mouth. By the gods, he tasted so sweet. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling his hard cock deeper into her body. She gave a soft cry with every thrust, the head of his length slamming against a sweet spot. “And I would do anything for you,” she breathed heavily, pulling back to meet his gaze. Staring into his eyes as their bodies joined only made it that much more intense. “It’s not going to take much…” she warned, squeezing tighter around him.

He smiled against her, leaning their foreheads together as he cupped her cheek. “Then don’t wait, Lindsey,” he murmured against her, swallowing hard as he felt her clench around him and he thrust faster into her. “Maker, please, let me see you come undone. In all this finery. Those nobles will know and I won’t care.” He cried out against her, crashing their lips together to muffle his cries of passion. It was so good, thinking about those stuffed up nobles just beyond the door and the obscene act they took part in. Except it was anything but that, it was so beautiful and he couldn’t get enough of the woman in his arms. He crushed her to him and held onto her tightly as he continued to pound into her.

She moaned against his lips, her body aching for release. She could barely breathe, kissing him frantically as her pleasure wound tighter and tighter until he finally drove her over the edge and she came around his cock. A muffled scream sounded in her throat as she kissed him harder, stars bursting in her vision. She didn’t care who found out what they’d done. Let the nobles stew over the fact that they couldn’t have him. He was hers and she was proud to be his. She clenched down on him as hard as she could, determined to make him come too. 

It was almost as if she had punched him in the gut and all the air in his chest left him in a rush as he bent over her, his cock throbbing as she convulsed around him. He came with a deep groan, her body milking him dry as he came inside of her. He held her tightly to him as he spent himself. He became aware that they were both wrapped around each other tightly as they came back down to earth and he smiled against her, kissing her lips as if he were a man dying of thirst and she was his oasis. “Lindsey,” he groaned against her, cupping her cheek as he gave one last weak thrust inside of her before he stilled.

She was breathless, shaking as she held him in her body, kissing back at his lips. By the gods, she had never met anyone who made her feel like this. Who made her feel special and wanted, who would be spontaneous with her even though it wasn’t the norm for him. “Cullen,” she said softly, moving to rest her forehead against his as she gazed into his honey-colored eyes. Her throat tightened, her heart racing. She hoped it wasn’t too soon, but she felt it so strongly that she couldn’t stop herself. “I love you,” she whispered.

Cullen felt his heart give a hopeful lurch in his chest as he gazed into her eyes, a silly smile growing on his face. “I love you too,” he breathed, realizing that it was true. He had never before felt so accepted, with all of his faults, as he had with her. She looked after him, kept him grounded even when he was at his worst. “Maker, I hope that’s alright. That it’s not too soon, but after everything you’ve done for me...” he said, pulling back so he could look at her properly, “I don’t think so.” He took in her disheveled state and smiled at her. “You are so radiant.” He sighed as he pulled back from her, moving to pull his pants back up, fastening them around his waist.

She beamed at him, even as pieces of her hair fell away from the updo and framed her face in wild wisps. “It’s not too soon,” she said softly. “Not if we both feel it.” She thought her heart might burst, to hear that he felt the same as she did. She slipped off the desk, feeling strangely empty now that their bodies were parted. She stepped closer to him, helping to adjust his jacket and the sash he wore. She could feel his essence slipping out of her, coating her thighs, and it made her smile. “There,” she said, smoothing one last wrinkle out of his jacket. “Perfect,” she whispered and kissed him softly.

He smiled down at her as he held her against him, his arms draped loosely around her waist. “I would have to agree with you,” he said as he leaned down and kissed her, slipping his tongue past her lips at a leisurely pace before he pulled back a moment later, dropping a kiss to the end of her nose. “Are you certain we have to go back? I am sure I would much rather take you on to bed for the night,” he said as he smirked down at her, “I happened to notice that you weren’t, ah, wearing any knickers.”

She giggled. “I didn’t think they were necessary,” she said with a slight shrug, though a blush touched her nose. “Now I’m glad I didn’t bother with them.” She sighed and leaned into him, resting her cheek on his chest. “I wish we could hide in here all night. But I don’t want to cause problems for you with the Inquisitor or the other advisors,” she said, running her hand up and down his back. “Things are going to get bad soon,” she said, pulling back to look up at him. “Florianne’s going to try to attack the empress. There’s going to be a fight.” She knew that he’d said before he didn’t want to know the future, but she felt if she kept this from him, if she distracted him when it happened, it could have a serious impact. Things were already changing as it was.

He could see the seriousness in her eyes and he nodded. “Understood. Your sister mentioned it to us back at Skyhold. I hope that the Inquisitor will make the right choice here,” he said as he opened the door, poking his head out before he quickly tugged her out behind him and closed the door. The air was cooler out in the main hall and welcome on his fevered flesh. He let out a sigh and tucked Lindsey’s arm into his as he led them back to the ballroom. “I will most likely be charged to make sure that no innocents are hurt during the confrontation. Will you be alright? I don’t want you in harm’s way.”

She flashed him a smile, trying to appear more confident than she felt. “I’m a big girl, Commander,” she said. “I can take care of myself. Don’t you worry about me.” She gave his arm a squeeze as she saw the Inquisitor up ahead, speaking with Josephine and Leliana. “Go on. You do whatever you have to do. I’ll stay out of the way over there by the table where we were standing earlier. I’ll be alright.” She placed a long kiss on his cheek. “Be careful, love.”

“Always.”


	21. Chapter 21

Lindsey returned to the tall, narrow table she and Cullen had stood by earlier. She watched him as he spoke to the Inquisitor and she couldn’t help but to wonder how things would unfold, what the Inquisitor would choose to do. She secretly hoped that a truce could be found, that perhaps Florianne would be taken into custody and no fight would be necessary. There was nothing to be gained by fighting her, as far as Lindsey was concerned. In the game, it was always more exciting to fight the duchess. There was great loot to be picked up and experience points to win, new levels to reach.

But this was no longer a game.

Despite what the nobles may call it, this was life or death. Real people, real lives. And it sickened her to think of how they treated betrayal and death as entertainment. It was nothing short of barbaric.

As the empress began her speech, Lindsey moved closer to the railing to watch. She could see the Inquisitor, the members of the inner circle as they strategically placed themselves around the ballroom. 

Cullen was less than happy as he moved around the ballroom, having to leave Lindsey’s side as he moved to a more advantageous position. The Inquisitor had decided to wait until Florianne attacked the Empress before he would stop her and he knew it was going to be nothing short of a bloody and terrible fight. He let his eyes wander around the room, Inquisition forces were placed around the hall generously, as were members of the Inner Circle. Everything would be fine.

Jennifer peered out from her spot, Solas had put her in a little alcove to the side of the dance floor. It was the perfect hiding spot, but she couldn’t see much from it. Probably for the best. It was hard to see who was who and she didn’t want to get lynched by one of Florianne’s people. She could see the Empress though and the Duchess stepped up behind her, plunging a dagger deeply into her back, she could see it protrude out from her stomach. She winced and looked away, it was a much more horrible sight in person. The Inquisitor called out to Florianne as the Empress fell and all hell broke loose. It was a giant clusterfuck as everyone seemed to start fighting and she ducked back into the alcove as Solas and the others started fighting with the goons inside the ballroom, while the main party ran after Florianne.

Shocked guests cried out at the display, some of them beginning to panic. Lindsey did the only thing she could think of and pushed her way through the crowd back to the little table and ducked beneath it, drawing her knees up to her chest. Oh this was so much worse than the game portrayed it. She could hear the fighting, the nobles screaming, people rushing this way and that. Where was her sister? She prayed that Jennifer was safe. She could hear shouts, some trying to calm the guests of the Winter Palace, to stop the confusion before it got worse. Watching Celene die was so much worse than seeing it in the game. She scrubbed at her eyes, thinking she would never get that visual out of her head.

Solas fought back the ones who tried to attack him, ever careful of innocent bystanders. What a mess this turned out to be. Still, he had been prepared for it thanks to Jennifer. A quick glance in her direction assured him that she was safe. He could hear the Inquisitor’s advisors as they worked to calm the crowd. With one final spin of his staff, he took out the last of Corypheus’ men and he leaned over, catching his breath. And just as quickly as it had begun, everything seemed to calm. With a weary smile, he stood up straighter and made a beeline through the crowd to get back to Jennifer.

Varric lowered his crossbow as the fighting ended like a wave on the beach receeding back into the ocean. He let out a heavy groan as he looked around for the others, but most of them had migrated to the other end of the hall, trying to catch glimpses of the Inquisitor’s fight with Florianne or to help the now dead Empress. He shook his head, briefly wondering if Cassandra would be okay out there with the Inquisitor, but he knew the Seeker could take care of herself. He spotted Lindsey nearby and under a table and let himself smile, exhaling the breath he had been holding and walked over to her. “Have I ever mentioned, Freckles, how much I really hate these Orlesian parties?” he asked as he rested Bianca on the floor. The damn uniform didn’t come with his crossbow harness. 

“Varric,” she gasped, relieved to see a familiar face. Her hands shook as she crawled out from under the table. “My gods, that was horrible.” She looked around for Cullen or her sister, but couldn’t see either of them. Surely they were okay. She wanted to go looking for them, but didn’t even know where to begin. She looked down at the dwarf. “Are you alright? I can’t… I don’t…” She rubbed at her face. “Sorry. I can’t even speak right now. I’m just shook up.”

He gave her a smile. “Oh yeah, I’m fine. Battle was really over before it began, thanks to you and your sister. Seeing death up close doesn’t get easier, I’m sorry to say. You’ll have to let me know if you figure it out though. You’d make a fortune,” he said as he surveyed the room. “It was almost a walk in the park, actually. This shit just keeps getting weirder, you know?” he said as he rubbed at his face, trying to get rid of the headache that was starting to grow. “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to get back to Skyhold where I know people won’t be trying to stab me in the back. Actually, I need to write a letter to my…” 

“Varric, what’s-?” Lindsey asked, turning to look behind her the instant she saw the expression on his face. She screamed out as her vision was suddenly blocked, the rough material of a sack pulled over her face. She kicked out and clawed at her attacker, struggling to get away. She heard Varric’s crossbow clatter to the ground, heard his shout, and the next moment, everything went black and silent.

* * *

 

Jennifer came out of the hiding place as soon as she saw Solas approaching her and she quickly stepped forward into his arms. “Thank goodness,” she breathed as she turned her face into his jacket before she looked around at the carnage that was left. The others were starting to come back in from the garden, Florianne killed. There were bloody bodies littering the ground everywhere she looked, but it didn’t stop the shocked nobles from gathering on the dancefloor to look up at Duke Gaspard as he began his speech. “Okay, I’ve had enough of that,” she muttered as she looked to the elf, “These nobles don’t even care that half of them are dead right now.”

“I know,” he said softly as he pulled her closer, closing his long fingers over the back of her neck as he cradled her to his chest. “Don’t look, vhenan,” he said, trying to shield her from it all. He watched as servants began to clear away the bodies, working quickly to scrub up the blood on the tiles before it could leave stains. He shook his head, then pulled Jennifer back towards the little alcove and cupped her cheek. “Corypheus has been dealt a serious blow tonight,” he said in a hushed tone. “Things should be stable for a while. It is the perfect opportunity for us to leave Skyhold. No more of these politics or silly parties to worry ourselves with. We can leave tomorrow night if you wish.”

The thought both excited her and made her nervous at the same time. She had never really been apart from her sister for any length of time, but she didn’t want to miss this opportunity. Maybe it was time to make her own path. Maybe this was something that her Gramma had wanted for the both of them. She knew things were getting serious with Cullen for Lindsey and she wanted her to have the same chance to break away and explore everything that she could with him. She nodded to Solas. “That will be fine. I’ll be able to tell Lindsey and pack up a few essentials for us. Will it take you long to get ready? And do you have an idea of where to go first?”

He gave a nod. “I have an idea,” he answered, but did not elaborate. “I will not require much. The lighter we travel, the faster we can get there. Do not worry about your sister. She will be safe at Skyhold. Cullen will look after her.” He couldn’t deny that the idea excited him, of leaving all this behind and striking out on a new path with her at his side. What a welcome comfort that would be, to have her with him as he worked on new plans to stop Corypheus, to recover his orb, and restore the world to the way it was supposed to be. He beamed at her for just a moment before he smothered her lips with his own, pulling her even tighter into his embrace.

Cassandra returned to the ballroom, her nose turned up in a sneer. What a disgusting display and these nobles treated it as if they had never seen anything more entertaining in their lives. Repulsive. She ignored them as she made her way through the crowd, searching for Varric. She frowned even more when she didn’t see him. He had to be around here somewhere. Of course, with him being the only dwarf in the room, it was likely to take her some time to find him. She finally spotted Jennifer with Solas and made her way over to them. “Have either of you seen Varric? I was outside during the fight,” she said.

Jennifer gave Cassandra a shy smile as she pulled back from Solas and settled herself at his side as she turned and looked around the hall. “No, I didn’t really see anyone once the fighting started,” she said and scanned the room, “I haven’t seen Cullen or Lindsey either.” She paused as she saw Cullen speaking with the Inquisitor and she smiled. “Well, sis is probably over that way somewhere. Where did you see Varric last?”

“I saw him shortly after the fight,” Solas put in. “He was not hurt. Do not fret, Seeker. He is probably already regaling others with the tale.” A smirk pulled at his lips. Even he rather enjoyed listening to Varric as he told stories. “He had quite a number of fans gathered around him earlier. They have probably cornered him again.”

“Ugh, probably,” Cassandra agreed. “The last thing he needs is more encouragement.” She looked around again, but didn’t see Varric, and gave a heavy sigh. She just knew she was going to spend the rest of the evening searching the whole damn place for him. Oh well, at least maybe that would get her out of dancing. “I will meet up with you later,” she said and gave a dismissive wave as she wandered off through the crowd, wondering where in the world Varric had gone.

Jennifer smiled after Cassandra as she left to find the storyteller. “Make that dwarf dance with you, Cass!” she called out after her, grinning and then ducking her head when Solas gave her a look. She just shrugged. “What? Now it’s just a guilty pleasure whenever I see them doing stuff together. Rather adorable really. I saw him reading to her out under the trees next to the training dummies one day. Her head was in his lap and she looked utterly content,” she said as she ran her finger over the sash across Solas’ chest, “Speaking of dancing… before we go find my sister and the good Commander, you wouldn’t be interested, would you?”

Solas chuckled as the music started up. “I should have known that you were reading my mind,” he said, an amused smile on his lips. He gave her a slight bow and offered her his hand. “May I have this dance?” he asked. His smile widened when she took his hand and he led her out onto the floor, pulling her to him. The steps were easy enough and she followed his lead well. “I do rather enjoy this part,” he admitted in a low voice. He was aware of eyes on them as they danced, no doubt nobles who disapproved of a human dancing with an elven apostate. And he couldn’t care less. What were they to him anyway? Nothing. The only thing that mattered was her as they gracefully moved about the dance floor.

Jennifer couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her lips as he danced her across the floor with a skill and grace that was telling of his years more than anything. “I seem to remember you saying that you did adore the heady blend of power, intrigue, murder and  _ sex _ that permeates the event,” she said in a low voice before she waggled her eyebrows at him, “This is nice though, I have to admit. Definitely the best part of the night.”

He laughed. “I do,” he agreed with a nod as he spun her around, then dipped her back, waggling his eyebrows back at her. “Especially the sex,” he murmured in her ear before he pulled her back upright. He held her close as they moved to the music, just enjoying the closeness. He closed his eyes as he pulled her a little closer, sliding his arm more securely around her slender waist. “You are right, vhenan. This is the best part of the evening.”

She smiled at him and laid her head down on his shoulder as he moved them around and she sighed out, content. Whatever the future would hold for her and her sister, it was sure to be exciting. She was more than ready to see where life would take her and Solas and not knowing was okay with her.

Cullen hated to do it, Solas and Jennifer looked like they were having a private moment alone dancing once the fighting was over, but all he really wanted to do was have the same moment with Lindsey. Reluctantly, he walked over to them on the dance floor, tapping Solas on the shoulder. “Pardon my intrusion,” he gave a little bow as they turned and he looked to Jennifer, “but I am having trouble locating your sister. Have you seen her?” 

Jennifer blinked at Cullen, looking around. “That’s funny, I thought she was with you. She isn’t? When did you see her last?” she asked as she craned her neck, trying to see around the ballroom, if Lindsey was off talking to one of the other members of the Inner Circle or something. “She didn’t get swamped by more nobles trying to have their palms read, did she?”

Solas frowned as he looked around as well. Now two of their party were missing? Still, they could have just been detained by other attendees. “The palace is a big place, Commander. I’m certain she is around here somewhere,” he said. But he could see the looks of concern in both Jennifer’s and Cullen’s eyes. He forced himself not to sigh. “Let’s look together, shall we? Perhaps in our search we will find Varric as well and save Cassandra the trouble.”

* * *

 

“Damn that dwarf,” Cassandra muttered under her breath as she stalked around the ballroom yet again. “I just know he is watching me right now, laughing to himself as I work myself into a frenzy. When I find him, it is going to be more than books that get stabbed.” She huffed and crossed her arms, coming to a stop next to a small couch. She turned to look around and nearly tripped over something sticking out from underneath the couch. Her eyes went wide and her blood turned cold. It was Bianca. “Varric would never leave his crossbow lying around,” she gasped as she grabbed it up. Something had happened to him. She turned frantically, her eyes searching for something, anything that would tell her where he might be, but all she saw was a sea of masks.

She moved with purpose through the crowd, clutching the crossbow to her chest, desperate to see some sign of Varric anywhere. She cried out when she walked right into Solas and stumbled backwards. “Something has happened!” she said quickly without apology, even as the elf grabbed her arm to steady her. “I cannot find Varric anywhere and I found Bianca kicked under a couch over there!” she said, pointing to the couch and little table where Cullen had been stationed most of the night.

Cullen’s eyes went wide as he looked over to the spot where he had left Lindsey before the fighting began and his mind began to swim. “That’s about where Lindsey was… what if…” He squeezed his eyes shut and ran a hand through his hair and opened them again, “Maker, I can’t even imagine. What if whatever happened to Varric, she saw and tried to stop? Or it happened to her?!”

Jennifer felt her blood turn to ice as she looked at the crossbow in Cassandra’s arms and the resounding loud absence of Varric and her sister all in one. She gripped Solas’ arm hard as she swallowed. “This isn’t supposed to happen. No one was supposed to go missing!” Her eyes frantically searched over the hall again and she clenched her jaw hard. “Lindsey!” she called out as she turned around, “Varric!” she called frantically, not caring about the looks the nobles were giving her.

Solas grabbed Jennifer, trying to calm her, and looked to Cassandra and Cullen. “We must organize a search,” he said, determined to keep calm. “Someone here saw something. Whatever happened, I am certain they did not walk out of here of their own free will.” He swallowed harshly as he looked at the crossbow. Foul play was involved here, he was certain of it. Cassandra was right; Varric rarely let that bow out of his sight. “Seeker, inform the Inquisitor and the inner circle. Commander, inform your men to search the palace. If they are still here, we will find them.” He knew it wasn’t his place to bark orders at either of them, but they both looked worried, frantic even.

Cassandra nodded and rushed off to find the Inquisitor and the others, her face set determinedly. She fought to control her breathing, to not let the emotion show on her face. But on the inside, she was screaming. She saw the Inquisitor visiting with Dorian and Bull and she broke into a run, nearly knocking over a noblewoman in the process.

“Ah shit,” Bull said, standing up straighter as he saw Cassandra forcing her way through the crowd. His eye immediately went to the crossbow in her arms. “This doesn’t look good,” he said in a low voice to Dorian. Crap. Just when he thought he was going to get to relax and enjoy the rest of the evening with his kadan. Of course everything had to go tits up. It always did. “What happened, Cass?” he asked in a level tone.

The Inquisitor frowned as he listened to Cassandra tell them that Varric and Lindsey were both missing, that she had found Bianca on the floor. “Well… shit,” he growled. He saw Sera and Blackwall through the crowd and waved them over. “We’ll find them, Cassandra. Don’t worry.” He explained the situation to the elf and the grey warden, then gestured for all of them to follow him. “Where the hell is Cole when you need him?”

Cole popped up next to Bull a moment later, his face screwed up in concern and worry. “I heard the cries, but everyone was crying out all at once. I didn’t realize which was which until it was all over and then they were silent. Horror, Varric what’s wrong, blackness coming down all around and then… nothing. They went silent. Varric is harder to hear, but I cannot hear either of them.” He looked worriedly at Cassandra, “I am so sorry. I don’t know where they went.” 

Dorian narrowed his eyes at the crossbow, feeling a jolt of fear lance through him. Varric and Cassandra had become dearer to him after their trip to the other world, as had Lindsey. To think of her and him in danger now... “Fasta vaas. Someone is going to pay for this. Who would kidnap them? Why would they kidnap them? Okay, the nobles know who Varric is, but I seriously doubt that they would kidnap him just to force him to write a few more books. And what on earth would they want Lindsey for?”

Bull shook his head. “Don’t know,” he said in a low voice. “She could’ve just been caught in the crossfire. Maybe she tried to stop whoever took Varric. I doubt they’d want anything to do with her.” And really, why would anyone want to take either of them? That didn’t make sense to him. If they were going to attack someone, it made more sense for the Inquisitor to be attacked. He felt a pang in his heart as they came upon Jennifer and Solas. He could see the worry in her posture, the fear in her eyes. “Alright, let’s find these assholes and do some killing,” he growled.

Solas looked up as the others approached and he gave a nod as he pulled Jennifer closer, trying to comfort her. “The commander is organizing his men as we speak,” he said. He looked around, seeing the nobles carrying on as if nothing had happened. “Someone here must have seen it. If we ask around, perhaps someone will tell us.” He turned his attention back to Jennifer, speaking quietly in her ear. “I will find your sister, vhenan. I swore to protect you both, and I will.”

Jennifer nodded numbly, looking around. She wasn’t sure what to think, where to start looking or what. This threw her completely and she had no idea what could have happened or why. She rubbed at her head and looked around the hall. “Do you think the servants would have seen anything?” she asked, frantically wringing her hands together as she tried to calm her pounding heart. “Fuck, shit,” she ground out. There was no more danger here, Florianne had been dealt with. She was at a loss for any ideas that could help her figure out what happened and she felt absolutely useless. “We don’t have anything to start with!”

“That’s not true,” Cullen said as he strode up to the group, one of his men trailing behind him quickly. “I have a man here who says he went onto the balcony for some fresh air after the battle and saw some of the elven servants carrying a woman and what appeared to be a dwarf to a wagon that was waiting out in front. It’s not much but it’s all we have to go on,” he said as he looked at the man behind him, who nodded his agreement.

“And you didn’t stop them?” Cassandra nearly shouted, fury burning in her at the information. “No one stopped them?!” She clung tighter to the crossbow, her worry and fear only growing. She was half-tempted to use it on the soldier.

“I couldn’t get to them in time!” the soldier protested, taking a step back from the Seeker. Maker, she looked dangerous when she was upset. “I tried to, but by the time I got down to them, it was too late. They turned west, following the road. I came and found the Commander as fast as I was able.”

Bull scratched at his chin as he took in all the information. “This sounds like a trap, Boss,” he said to the Inquisitor. “Could be to lure you in, could be to get all of us out of Skyhold so they can attack. Some of us are going to have to go back to Skyhold while the others go after this lead. And we need to move quick so we don’t lose the trail.”

“I will go,” Solas offered quickly. He swallowed harshly, looking at Jennifer. There went their plans to leave. Well, not entirely, but they would have to be postponed. He tugged her closer, his heart breaking to see the worry in her eyes. “You should return to Skyhold,” he said softly. “If there is trouble, I would not see you hurt. You will be safer there.”

Jennifer swallowed, letting Solas pull her close. She wanted to go with him, she wanted to find her sister. “Damn it all,” she said, “I could help, I could figure out a location spell, maybe track them down.” She nearly groaned as she remembered that her spell book was in the room at Skyhold. “No. No I’m not letting you go alone. It’s my sister and if I let you go alone and I lose you as well…” She shook her head and crossed her arms, “We’re going together.”

“Vhenan,  please, ” Solas pleaded. He set his jaw and exhaled through his nose as he saw the stubborn determination in her eyes. She was not going to take no for an answer and he couldn’t stay behind with her. He’d made a vow to protect both of them. He gave a sharp nod, though he grit his teeth. He could keep her safe, too.

Cullen pressed his lips thin. “I’m going with you too,” he said. “The Inquisitor can command the troops back at Skyhold and with Cassandra’s help, we should have no trouble looking for the others,” he said, wishing he had his sword on his hip. He kept reaching for it, but it was not there and he really wanted to stab something. 

Cassandra cut across the Inquisitor as he opened his mouth to protest. “We will find them and return to Skyhold as fast as possible,” she said firmly. “The rest of you go back. We can travel faster the fewer of us go.” She was in no mood to be argued with. “Now we must hurry. We are wasting time standing around here!”

The Inquisitor pressed his lips thin, then nodded as he took the sword from his belt. “Here,” he said and handed it over to Cullen, knowing the commander was unarmed. “I fear you may need it.” He didn’t like this, but they had to act fast and with little planning. “Be safe, all of you. We’ll protect our people back at Skyhold if someone truly is planning an attack.” He turned then and left, gesturing for the others to come with him, barking at one of their men to bring horses for the search party going after Varric and Lindsey. 

“We must hurry,” Solas said, grabbing Jennifer’s hand and leading their group towards the main doors of the palace. “If we are lucky, we can track them, catch up to them.” His mind worked furiously. They were losing ground by the minute. He hurried down the steps, nearly dragging Jennifer along, and stopped outside the Inquisition carriages. he opened a trunk on the back, grabbing a spare uniform Josephine had stored away. It looked about Jennifer’s size. “Hurry, put this on,” he said, handing it to her and opening the door to the carriage for her. Riding on horseback would be ridiculous for her in that fancy dress.

Jennifer would have normally made some comment about her getting out of the dress in the back of a carriage, but now was neither the time, nor place. She stepped up into the carriage and went about setting the fastest record for changing out of a dress. It was not how she had wanted her night to end, she thought as she shucked it after pulling it off and glared at the Inquisition uniform. “Ugh, they got me into it anyway. Seems I can’t escape this bloody thing,” she muttered and changed, tying her hair back with a tie before she exited the carriage. The boots had their merits though, much better than high heels. She jumped out of the carriage, nodding to Cassandra and Cullen who were already mounted on horses. “Let’s go. Hopefully, they haven’t gotten far,” she said, worry thick in her voice. 

Solas swung himself up onto the horse, then reached down to pull Jennifer up behind him. “Hold on tight,” he said to her as he turned the horse towards the road. He made sure her arms were secured around his waist before he urged the horse forward. “It matters not how far they have gotten. We will find them, vhenan. I swear it.”


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter contains some minor torture of our characters. Not as bad as some of the stuff we have done in past stories. I consider it rather tame. Please read at your own risk.

Pain. It was throbbing through his head and the first thing he knew when he woke. Varric hadn’t felt this bad since he had foolishly let Bull goad him into trying some of that Dragon’s Blood drink that had ended up being several glasses and he couldn’t remember the better part of that night. He groaned and tried to rub his head, but his hand stopped short and the jangle of chains was more telling than anything, “Shit,” He muttered before he pried open his eyes, blinking in the dim lighting. He was reminded of Haven’s holding cells, but this was something else. He looked around the cell and spotted Lindsey opposite of him in the same cell, chained to the wall and looking a little worse for wear. Her dress was dirtied and ripped, her hair messed up and there was a nasty looking shiner on her face. “Freaking bastards,” he muttered before he looked out of the cell, noting the Tevinter banner’s hanging up along the hallway. There were no windows or anything to help him tell what the time of day was. “Great, probably one of Corypheus’ lap dogs that was mad the Winter Palace didn’t go as planned.”

Lindsey awoke with a groan, her head splitting. “What the hell,” she whined as she sat up, her whole body feeling stiff. Her eyes went wide the next second as she heard the rattle of a heavy chain and she felt the cold metal cuffs around her wrists. “What is this?” she cried, trying to move away from the wall, but not getting far. Her heart raced, breath caught in her throat as she tried to pull her hands free from the shackles. She growled through clenched teeth, feeling as though her hand might disconnect from her arm, and had to give up. She looked around frantically and it was only then that she noticed the dwarf. “Varric! Where are we? What happened?”

“Easy there, Freckles,” he said, his brow furrowing at the worry on her face and to be honest, he was worried too, but freaking out now wasn’t going to do either one of them good. “Not sure what happened.” He closed his eyes and tried to recall what happened. “Someone knocked me over the head and...” He trailed off shaking his head before he looked at her as he felt around his pockets. “Shit, they took my lockpicks. Bastards,” he said as he looked out of the cell but then looked back at her, “How are you feeling? Like shit? Anything broken? I suppose it’s a good thing they didn’t just kill us outright.” 

She whimpered at that. This was not how she imagined things going. All she wanted was to dance with Cullen. “Of course I feel like shit,” she spat, a little harsher than she meant to. She looked around, not recognizing anything, then looked back at him. “This isn’t right,” she said. “This isn’t part of the game. No one ever got kidnapped in the game. Everything’s gone completely off course. I don’t know what’s happening or where we are. This isn’t right.” She swallowed harshly, trying to blink away the frightened tears in her eyes. “Varric, I’m scared,” she admitted, scooting back against the wall and drawing her knees up.

“Shhh, I know. I am too, but getting worked up about it isn’t going to help either of us right now,” he said as he looked around, his eyes landing on her hair. “Do you have any pins in there?” Before he winced and looked at her shackled hands, wondering if she’d be able to reach that high. “I’ve worked with less.” He shifted his shoulders and tried to sit up straighter. “Wherever we are, it’s controlled by Tevinter. I can see those flags up in the hallway there. There’s a shit ton of sand on the floor so we have to be somewhere out west, the Hissing Wastes or the Western Approach would be my guess. We couldn’t have been out for more than a day or two,” he reasoned before he let his head fall back against the cool wall, “Andraste’s tits, this headache is awful.”

“Mine too,” she said in a small voice as she twisted around, leaning over so she could reach her head. It was an awkward position, but she managed it. She winced as her fingers brushed over a lump on her head. “Can you really pick a lock with a hairpin?” she asked, trying to ignore the pain in her neck as she leaned over, working a couple of the pins loose from her hair. “I thought that was just, you know, something silly they made up in movies.” She sat up again, then wondered how in the hell she was supposed to get the pins to him.

Varric chuckled and patted the ground where his hand was. “Oh yeah, you could pick a lock with a few twigs if they were sturdy enough. I just have to get the tumblers at the right angle and it’ll open. Don’t get too excited. We’ll see what we can do next after we get out of these cuffs. Chances are we’re surrounded and unless you got clever with your dress, we don’t have any weapons on us.” 

She briefly thought of making a joke about hiding Cullen’s sword under her skirt, but her fear over where they were and what was happening to them stopped her. “No,” she answered. “I should have though. Could’ve hidden half the armory under this stupid thing.” She chewed her lip, trying to figure out how to get the pins to him. Throwing them probably wouldn’t work. She couldn’t move her arms enough. She worked her shoe off and twisted her leg back, pinching the pins between her toes. Then she stretched out as far as she could towards him and tossed them as close to him as she could.

Varric stretched out his arm as far as he could get it, feeling the iron digging into his wrists as he stretched, grunting as his hands brushed against the dirt and stone floor before he paused for a moment. “Maker’s breath, come on,” he muttered as he breathed and shifted himself around before he tried again. He bit his lip as his fingers scraped the edges of the pins and with a cry he pushed through the last inch and grabbed them in his fingers. “Hah!” he exclaimed, ignoring the sharp pain in his wrists as he pulled his arm closer, looking at the pins for a moment before he started fiddling with them, twisting them into better shapes. “So the others won’t be too impressed with us. I can almost hear Cassandra now, just had to go and get yourself kidnapped, didn’t you, dwarf?”

She managed a small laugh at that. “She’s cursing your name right now,” she agreed. “I wonder where everyone else is. D’you think we were the only ones taken?” She looked around; what she could see through the bars of the cell told her that they were the only ones here. She wondered if she and Varric would be able to escape, how they would manage such a feat. Neither of them were armed and even if she was, she doubted she’d be much use in a fight. Her heart felt like it was going to leap out of her chest, her stomach twisted in painful knots as she watched Varric work with the pins. “I hope they’re all okay,” she said quietly, worrying about her sister. 

Varric glanced over at Lindsey as he twisted the lock up to face him, balancing it on his leg as he moved to carefully hold the pins before he slipped them into the lock. “I hope that we were the only ones taken. Shit, who would have thought someone would use the chaos of the fight to pull a fast one like this? You said this wasn’t supposed to happen. Perhaps not, but you and your sister are real game changers, aren’t you? So that leaves me to believe someone was after you and I just happened to be lucky enough to be standing next to you when they decided to do it,” he said as he frowned at the lock, wishing he could get closer to it than this. He couldn’t see anything that he needed to and was doing it all by touch. “Besides, you know the others are on their way. Maybe at the front door right now.”

“Me?” she asked in shock. “What would they want with me? I’m nobody important. All I do is cook for Dorian!” She looked down at the floor, racking her brain to try and think of why anyone would want to take her. She gasped as a thought came to her. “I read Yvette’s palm,” she breathed. “At the Winter Palace, Josephine’s sister asked if I was from another world and if I could tell fortunes. Then a bunch of nobles wanted me to do the same for them. Do you…” She paused and licked her lips, feeling guilty. “Do you think someone saw and decided I could be used for something? Fuck, this is all my fault,” she whined and let her head fall back against the wall, instantly regretting it as pain radiated through her skull. “Varric, I’m sorry.”

“Relax, Freckles,” he said as he looked over at her and gave her an understanding smile. “It happens. And yeah. If one of Corypheus’ agents thought that you could predict the future, what better weapon to have on your side?” he said as he looked back down at the lock. He grinned and popped it open. “Ah! There we go,” he said as he shook off the cuff and moved to quickly undo the second one. He winced as he saw the blood and angry red marks around his wrist from straining too hard, but it was a small price to pay. He stood up and walked over to Lindsey, kneeling next to her as he worked on her cuffs.

“Oh my god, you’re so fucking brilliant,” she gasped once she saw him free of the cuffs. She turned as much as she could to let him pick the locks on hers. She sighed in relief as the first one came free, and thought she might sob once the other was removed. She rubbed at her wrists, then got to her feet, kicking off her other shoe. “I’m not trying to run through this place in heels,” she muttered. “So what do we do? Just try to run for it after you get the door open?” she asked, praying silently that no one would find them in the process. 

Varric stood up straighter and walked over to the door, peering out down one side and then the other. “There are guards down at both ends of the hallway here. Place this big? Probably looking at several Venatori agents. Tiny would have a field day here. Any place like this ringing a bell up there?” he asked as he looked back at her and winced at the messy state of her hair. He reached for the blue sash crossing his chest and tore off a strip. “Here, tie your hair back with that and give me what other pins you have.”

Lindsey worked to pull as many pins from her hair as she could. She cursed having used so many. “Here,” she said and handed him a handful. “What? This is a lot of hair!” she said, then slicked it all back and tied it with the piece of sash. She swallowed and looked around. “I… I don’t know the game as well as my sister does. I love it, but she’s played more than I have. I can’t remember any of this.” She felt like crying, like she should’ve had more knowledge about it. “Damn it all.”

He tucked the pins away and turned to Lindsey, catching her hands in his own. “Hey, hey. Look at me. We’re in this together now. It’s going to be alright, but we need to keep our heads about us. They’re probably wanting us to get worked up, make mistakes all that shit. They kept us alive, so they want information or something that is no good to them when we are dead.” He reached up and cupped her cheek, brushing away the tears he saw in her eyes. “Just breathe for a moment. And let’s think about what would be the best thing for us to do. I don’t know about you, but I want to make it out of this alive.”

She drew a shaky breath and nodded. At least she wasn’t here alone. “Okay,” she said and scrubbed at her eyes, drying her tears. His words comforted her a little, to know that whoever held them captive didn’t intend to kill them. Though a dark place in her mind told her that there were things worse than death. She pushed the thought from her mind. She didn’t need to think like that right now. “How do we get out of here? You just tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”

He nodded and moved to the door, her hand still in his as he looked as far as he could. “Okay, so, I say we go down that way and take out the guards. Then use their weapons as we sneak out of here the best we can.” He didn’t like it. It reminded him of being trapped in the deep roads after being betrayed by his brother. Forging ahead was dangerous and at least then, he had some sort of weapon. “Just be prepared for anything,” he said and glanced back at her shoes, spying the heels and thought for a moment before he went over and picked them up, handing one to her. “These will have to do for makeshift daggers. Just aim for their backs, midway down. Thrust this in deep enough and you’ll hit a lung. They won’t be going anywhere for a while. Okay?” he asked as he moved to open the cell lock.

She looked down at the shoe in her shaking hand, feeling more terrified than ever. But she trusted Varric. If they had any hope of getting out of this place, she had to do as he said. She chewed her lip again as she looked at the guards who still had their backs to them. She tasted blood, but couldn’t seem to stop chewing at her lip. She cursed herself for not playing through the game more times, for not knowing where they were or who might’ve done this. And the thought of being anywhere near Corypheus made her want to just curl up and die. That son of a bitch scared her to no end. Her breath caught in her throat as the lock clicked open and Varric carefully opened the door. She held the high heel up and nodded to him, ready to follow his lead.

Varric lifted a finger to his lips before he looked back down the hallway and they quietly moved towards the guards. His eyes were searching all over, making sure that there would be no extra surprises jumping out at them. Shit if his heart wasn’t about to jump out of his chest though. He tried to think through, be prepared of what would happen if they did get caught. He didn’t know why they had kept him alive, but he had little doubt that if they were discovered that they wouldn’t hesitate in killing him. He crept up behind the guards, surprised Lindsey was as quiet as a mouse and surprised at the guards for not turning around. Now or never. He flung himself at the guard closest to him, swinging the shoe up as if it were a hook and buried it deeply in the man’s back, his other hand reaching up and covering the man’s mouth as he tried to scream out. “Get the other one!” he called out to Lindsey as he drug the man to the floor. 

The other guard turned and Lindsey knew that stabbing him in the back was no option now. Instead she lunged forward and slammed the heel into the side of his neck. She gasped out as the blood splurted all over her and she stepped back as the guard fell to the floor. “Holy shit,” she gasped, surprised at herself. Her eyes were wide as the man bled out on the floor. Had she really just killed someone? She shook her head; they forced her and Varric to do this. They weren’t at fault. Moving quickly, she grabbed the dagger from the guard, and the keys that hung from his belt. “Might need these, right?” she said as she stood up and backed away from the body. Oh, she couldn’t look at it anymore.

Varric nodded as he pulled the dagger from the guard and looked over their outfits. “Try on that guy’s shoes. Might be better than running around barefoot,” he said as he unsheathed the dagger and gave it a once over before he spotted the look on her face. “You okay there?” he asked before he looked down at the man she had just killed. “Ah, first time? It… well, I’m not going to bullshit you and say it gets easier. It doesn’t, but it was either you or him. Every one of these bastards are in our way back to Skyhold and we are going to get out of here, one way or another,” he said as he could still see her shaking. 

She nodded, knowing he was right. “I’m okay. I can do this,” she said, though she wasn’t certain if she was reassuring him or herself. She tugged off the guard’s boots and slipped them on. They were a little too big, but she would still be able to run in them if she had to. And once they made it outside, if Varric was right, she would need them to protect her feet from the hot sand. “Let’s go. You know there’s more of these fuckers around. I want to get the hell out of here.”

“There’s my girl,” he said with a smile and he looked off towards the stairs he could see at the other end of the new hallway. “Come on, this way. Be as quiet as you can and let’s get the hell out of here,” Varric said as he turned and headed towards the way out, “And when we get outside, we stick to the shadows as much as possible, take anyone out before they see us.” He looked up the stairs before he headed up the stone steps. He paused at the door at the top, slowly turning the handle and smiled when he found it unlocked. Unfortunately, it had been a while since the damn hinges were oiled and it creaked something awful. “Ah, shit,” he muttered as he looked out, his heart sinking as he saw more guards and Venatori mages standing around. One had the good grace to look over at the door and they stared at each other for a moment. “New plan, Freckles. You run for it, I’m going to distract them.”

“What?” she hissed as he ran forward, taking on the guard who had spotted them. Shit, shit, shit. She grabbed up her skirt with one hand to keep herself from tripping on it and ran for the first door she saw. She could hear the fight going on behind her, could hear the footsteps of others as they chased after her. “Fuck!” she cried as she reached the door, yanking on it, but found it locked. She cried out the next moment as one of the guards slammed into her, pinning her against it. She wrenched around in his grasp, swinging the dagger and felt it hit. The guard heaved and she yanked the dagger back, turning to face the others who had cornered her. They had their swords drawn and pointed at her. Over their shoulders, she could see that Varric had been overpowered, his eye already swelling shut. 

“Drop it!” one of them barked, shaking his sword at her.

She swallowed hard and held her hands up, letting the dagger clatter to the floor. A cry escaped her as one of them stepped forward and twisted her arms painfully behind her back. “What do you want with us? We haven’t done anything! Let us go!” she pleaded as the guard holding her marched her forward. 

Varric cursed under his breath as they pulled him along after Lindsey. Fuck, a guard had landed a good punch to his face and he struggled against their hold, but it was no use. “Lindsey,” he called out after her, “That was my fault. I’m sorry. I should have been more careful.” He tried to calm her down, he could hear her crying as they were being taken, not back to the dungeons but somewhere else. Out of the darkness, he could see sunlight, the hint of a blue sky far above. And it was quiet which meant that they were in some fortress in the Western Approach. “Freckles, I need you to start thinking to Cole. Tell him that we are in a Fortress in the Western Approach. Just repeat it over and over in your head.” He let out a cry as the guards hauling him stopped to backhand him across the face and he growled, feeling his lip split open from the force and they continued dragging him along to a larger room, shoving Lindsey and him both down on their knees in the center. It looked like a sad replication of the Inquisition’s war room. The head guy wasn’t hard to figure out, standing up at the table with maps strewn about it and a big ass chair behind it. 

Erimond turned around as he heard the prisoners being brought into his room and he scowled down at them a moment before he turned to one of the guards. “I thought I made my instructions perfectly clear! I told you to grab the two women! Not one of them and a worthless dwarf!” he shouted before he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Ugh, never mind, this one will have to do,” he muttered as he looked back and forth between the captives, “I’m sure we can find some use for a dwarf of the Inquisition’s Inner Circle.”

_ ‘COLE!’  _ Lindsey screamed in her mind, _‘_ _ Varric and I are in a fortress in the Western Approach! It’s Erimond! Tell Jen it’s Erimond!’  _ She thought it over and over as she looked at the man, her skin crawling. She’d always thought of him as a slimy, greasy bastard. And seeing him in person only solidified that opinion. “What do you want me for?” she demanded, trying to loosen the guard’s grasp on her arm. “I’m nobody! Just a cook!” She sniffled and blinked at the tears in her eyes, trying to clear her vision. “Let us go,” she pleaded. “There’s nothing to be gained by this!”

“Isn’t there though?” he asked as he crossed his arms as he casually walked around the table to stand in front of them. “My sources tell me you and your dear sister are seers for the Inquisition. That the cooking is just some fanciful elaboration to make certain that your cover isn’t blown. Then with what my agents at the Winter Palace saw, they only confirmed what I knew to be a truth. Someone like you will be most beneficial to my Master’s plan,” he said as he lifted a hand in the air and gestured around him, “Now, there are a couple of ways this can go. You can either agree to help us, tell us what we know and be part of the new world willingly, or you will become a tool of my Master’s army with less than… desirable circumstances. The Elder One is most kind to those who aid him.”

Though she was terrified for both her own and Varric’s lives, she knew she couldn’t be part of this. She would never have anything to do with their plans if she could help it. Over and over in her head, she screamed for Cole to hear her, hoping that the spirit could pick up on her thoughts. If only the inner circle were here, if they could come crashing through that door and make a last-second rescue… But no such luck. She and Varric were on their own for now. She would have to be brave, just like the rest of them. “Piss off,” she spat.

Erimond sighed and rubbed at his face, “Now, you see, you mustn’t be like that. Then we have to resort to somewhat more, drastic measures. You wouldn’t want your friend here to be hurt more on your account if you don’t give up what you know. Just a little bit of information, that’s all we want for now. They say you have foreseen the downfall of Corypheus. We just want to know all that we can so that we might prevent him from failing,” he said as he nodded to the guards.

Varric cried out as they wrenched his hand from behind his back. One guard held him securely while the other forced his hand out and away from him, spreading his fingers apart. A sick feeling crawled into his stomach as one of his fingers was grabbed and he knew what was about to happen. He took a deep breath, gritting his teeth, “Don’t you tell them a thing, Freckles. Not one thing!”

“No! STOP!” she cried, watching as they prepared to torture Varric. She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling sick.  _ ‘Goddammit, Cole, help us!!!’  _ She couldn’t let them hurt Varric. It was her fault he was here in the first place. Her mind worked furiously, trying to figure out how to get out of this. “You hurt him and I won’t tell you shit,” she snarled, trying to sound braver than she felt. “You hear me? Not a goddamned thing!”

Erimond narrowed his eyes at the girl and stalked forward, reaching down so he could tangle his fingers into her hair and wrench it back. “I don’t think you realize how bargaining works. First, you have to have something worth giving us before we will consider your request. So, if we hurt him, you won’t tell us a thing? How about if we hurt you?” he asked her, reaching behind her and grabbing her arm in his hand, looking down at the appendage before he grasped her hand and turned it opposite of the way he held her forearm. “Tell me what I want to know,” he said calmly. 

Fear so strong shot through her, it made it hard to breathe. “Don’t,” she gasped, feeling fresh tears in her eyes. She grit her teeth, wondering if she did tell them anything how it might affect the outcome. It made her skin crawl to feel his hands on her. She met Erimond’s eyes, giving him the most loathing look she could muster. “Doesn’t matter what I tell you. The others are coming for us. And you’re all going to die,” she hissed, her stomach turning even as she said it.

“Shame,” he said as he made a quick movement with his hands and the series of snaps echoed in the room as he broke her wrist. “Break the dwarf’s finger,” he said calmly as he held onto Lindsey’s arm, watching the dark bruise form around her joint and he smirked at the screams that filled the air.

Varric barely had time to protest before he felt the guards pull on his finger and then the blinding white hot pain lanced through his arm and into his head. He tried to jerk away as he screamed out, trying to bite down on his cheek as stars danced in front of his vision. “FUCK YOU,” he grit out as he felt his stomach lurch from the amount of pain that simple break had caused. Hearing Lindsey scream wasn’t helping either. He swallowed hard, tasting blood as he clenched his eyes shut. “Freckles, Lindsey! Focus on something else. Hang in there,” he pleaded to her as he tried to work through the hot pain. He was really really sick of the Venatori and Corypheus. 

Lindsey thought she might get sick from the pain in her arm. She sobbed, trying to pull her arm away, but it only made the pain worse. She couldn’t tell them anything now, even if she wanted to, because the pain made her mind foggy. “Please stop,” she sobbed, cringing and wincing in Erimond’s grip. “Oh fuck,” she whimpered, feeling weak. She gasped for air, trying to think clearly. “What… what do you want to know?” she asked. “You already know everything! There isn’t anything else I can tell you!”

“You could tell us all a great deal,” he said as he knelt in front of Lindsey, holding her arm carefully in front of her face. “Like with our plans at Adamant. Do we need to proceed a day early? Delay the summoning? And what happens after Adamant, should that plan, though unlikely, fail? What does Corypheus do then? We could get an early start on that as well,” he said, a smirk tugging at his lips, “Also, he is very interested in what sort of magic you can do. We have heard it is very powerful, used to travel between worlds?” He could see Lindsey’s eyes glazing over and he snorted, tossing her hand away before he stood up.

“That wasn’t my magic!” she protested, shaking her head violently as a lie came to her mind. “It was another mage! He died in the process of opening a portal between the worlds. When we got here, we decided it was too dangerous and destroyed all of his notes on how to do it.” She squeezed her eyes shut and bowed her head, holding her arm to her chest. “We don’t know how he did it exactly,” she whimpered. “There’s no way to recreate it.” She hoped to distract him away from the other questions. “My magic isn’t special. My sister and I aren’t mages.”

“Which is exactly why it is special. Think of all the possibilities!” Erimond said as he turned around and crossed his arms again, lifting one hand to tap against his lips as he thought, “A shame. I find it very hard to believe that the Inquisition would let go of something so powerful so easily. I’ll have my spies take a closer look around at the Inquisition records on that. I doubt they would have trusted you with the information.” He sighed and waved at the guards, “Find them something else to wear. Something less… extravagant. And make sure you search them thoroughly this time around. Don’t need their hopes getting up over some stupid hair pins. Leave their wounds for now, but send the healers in tomorrow. Should get them talking in no time.”

Lindsey swallowed hard as she heard someone rummaging around in a trunk and her face burned hotly. Surely they wouldn’t, would they? She gave a whimper as she was hauled to her feet and a set of dingy clothes was thrust at her. “Get off me!” she shouted as she felt the guard behind her grab at her. “I’ll do it myself,” she snarled and snatched the clothes with her good hand. Humiliation burned on her face as she tried to turn away from them and reached back to unfasten her dress. She had nothing on underneath and she wanted to cry now as she remembered Cullen’s comment on her lack of underclothes. She changed as quickly as her broken wrist would allow her, bile rising up in her throat as she felt eyes on her. The sleeves of the shirt had been cut off, and the breeches had no pockets. So she and Varric couldn’t try to hide anything on them, she assumed. 

She gave a pained cry as the guard nearest to her forced her to her knees again and began to pull the pins from her hair. And he wasn’t gentle about it. Her head was yanked this way and that until all the pins were removed. She wanted to wake up, to find that this was all a nightmare and that she was still in bed next to Cullen. Gods, she would give anything to see him now. Or her sister. Anyone who could put a stop to this, to take her and Varric away from it all. She cast a glance his direction, wanting to tell him she was sorry, but didn’t dare speak again for fear of angering Erimond further.

Varric caught her eyes, the worry he could see in them must have matched his own. The shirt they put him in was slightly too small and the pants way too long. He had to roll up the legs so he wasn’t tripping on them. Then the bastards took his hair tie as well and he cursed under his breath Erimond barked more orders at the guards to take them back to the cell and give them food. They were needed alive, after all, no use in starving them to death at the moment. That and he was sure that Erimond didn’t have the time to wait them out while he starved them into submission. 

He cradled his hand as they were shown back down into the dungeons and roughly shoved inside. Thankfully, none of the guards were brave enough to try and lock them in cuffs this time around and they were left alone for the moment. He groaned and moved to the back wall, sinking down in the corner as he looked up at Lindsey. “C’mere. Let me take a look at that,” he said before he looked down at his ridiculously long pants and tore them off at his ankles. He made a long strip out of them and draped it around Lindsey’s neck, “See if I can’t make a sling for that.” 

She eased herself to the floor next to him and held out her arm. It throbbed painfully and she grit her teeth. “Varric, I’m so sorry,” she whispered, sniffling as she tried not to cry again. She hissed as he took her arm and looked it over. She leaned a little closer to him, barely even daring to whisper in case the guards were listening. “I tried to call for Cole like you said,” she told him. “I screamed it over and over in my head. I don’t know if he heard me or not, but I tried.”

“Shhh,” he said as he carefully set her arm into the sling before he reached out and tugged her to lay against his side. He was no good at this comforting shit, but he knew they had to keep their spirits up or they’d break. “I think the Kid is on his way to becoming more like a person any way. I’m not sure if he could have made it to us, but he seems to hear just fine. Me, not so much and since we are so far away from him, I know he wouldn’t hear me if I tried. At least they know where we are now. The Kid and the others wouldn’t stop looking for us. He heard you, but with two of us to rescue, he probably knew that if he just showed up, it would get one of us killed.” He was just talking to fill the silence, he knew that, but he had a feeling it was helping. He hoped it was helping. 

She leaned into him, listening to him talk. There was something calming about his voice and she closed her eyes for a moment. “I hope you’re right,” she said softly, then opened her eyes and reached for his hand, frowning at his broken finger which was swelled and bruised. “Those bastards. Just wait until Cassandra gets ahold of them.” She couldn’t stop the small smile that tugged at her lips as she imagined what the Seeker would do once she found out what had been done to Varric. “She will slaughter them.” She paused and chuckled. “There will be so much stabbing, she’ll get it out of her system for a good month. So at least you’ll be in the clear for awhile, right?” she tried to joke.

Varric couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his lips at the thought. The endorphins had kicked in and his hand was just a low throbbing pain. It settled in with the other pains that had been inflicted on his body and he closed his eye as he leaned back, his hand resting on Lindsey’s shoulder. “Yeah, they haven’t seen her pissed off yet. They should all be running. She’ll run Erimond through with her sword and twist it around for good measure,” he said as he absently rubbed at the cool skin of her shoulder. These clothes were not meant for dungeon wear. “And Curly. You know he’s coming after you. I’d put money on those two leaving the Winter Palace and coming right after us. You know they did.”

She nodded, the thought of Cullen coming to rescue her put a smile on her face. “He is,” she agreed and gave a sigh. “I hope they don’t run into any trouble. And I hope Jennifer’s safe.” She chewed her lip again, thinking of her sister and Cullen. She shook her head. “These idiots don’t realize what they’re doing. But they’re gonna figure it out soon. As soon as the others get here, they’ll know. They’ll know they’re fucking with the wrong people.”

“Damn right they will,” Varric said, growing quiet as he heard footsteps outside the cell and watched as one of the guards slid two plates of bread and cheese under the bars, muttering about why they had to feed them. The plates were followed by a bottle of wine that was kicked their way and Varric had to roll his eyes. “Talk about service with a smile,” he muttered, “I’ll get it. Don’t think they’d poison us after that display.” He moved away from Lindsey, wincing as she hissed when he moved her arm just a little too much. “Hate to say it, but you know they are just going to heal these up and break them again tomorrow,” he said as he retrieved the food and moved back into his spot next to her, propping her up against him again.

“Fuckers,” she hissed and looked down at the food. “This is what you call a meal?” she called loudly after the guard who was walking away. “Shit ain’t good enough to slop the hogs,” she muttered, though part of her was grateful the guard chose to ignore her. She didn’t feel like being messed with anymore that day. “They better not. I don’t think I can go through that again.” She picked at a piece of the cheese, though she really wasn’t hungry. “Maybe I should just tell them. That doesn’t mean it’s going to change anything. Everything’s changing already anyway.”

Varric nodded, “There’s that, everything is changing isn’t it?” He thought about it as he picked up a piece of bread and chewed on it for a moment before he pulled back. “So you tell them, what? Everything that they want to know? Even if you do, I don’t think that will be the end of it. They are going to want to keep you around to read into the future of everything they do. If it’s going to work out or not. Monster’s like this don’t let anything go that easily.” He pressed his lips thin. “And what’s to stop them from killing me once you agree to whatever they want?”  

Lindsey immediately shook her head. “No, I don’t want that,” she said quickly as a knot formed in her throat. She’d never forgive herself if they killed him. And she couldn’t imagine what that would do to Cassandra. She swallowed harshly. “Okay, I won’t tell them anything. Maybe we can drag this out long enough for the others to get to us. I… I was just trying to keep them from hurting us again.” She winced as she shifted, her arm throbbing again. “I hate this,” she whispered as she looked up at the ceiling. “I feel so damn helpless.”

“Yeah, it’s a bitch,” he muttered, “But that’s the way it is. I wish there was something I could do. Something to pull my own weight so you wouldn’t have to worry about me. Really though, I can’t see why else they’d keep me around. Unless…” He trailed off as the words died on his lips. Unless they had something else planned that they needed a dwarf for. But then, Erimond had said that he was an accident. He wasn’t supposed to have been grabbed, just the two sisters. “Hey, I’d rather it me than your sister and if they would have it their way, she’d be in my place right now.” He nodded, “This is better. I should have been more alert. I should have been paying attention. Sorry for this.”

“It isn’t your fault, Varric,” she said. “If we’re going to blame anyone, blame that bastard and the fucker he works for.” She huffed and shook her head. “If they think I’m going to be part of this, them building a demon army, using blood rituals to enslave the grey wardens…” She pressed her lips thin. No, she was not going to have any part of that. She didn’t care what they did to her. “Fuck a bunch of that. I’ll let them kill me before I tell them one thing that might help them out.”

Varric’s eyes widened and he looked to her. “This is the bastard who’s building the demon army? Shit. I had really hoped the Inquisitor and Sparkler were just making all of that up.” He rubbed at his face with his free hand, regretting it as pain sparked over him from the sore spots. “Well, shit. Blood magic and Grey Wardens. What are they doing with the Wardens? Why would they even agree to help Corypheus?” He suddenly remembered Hawke mentioning the Wardens and he winced. “Ah, hell. I remember now. The Wardens disappearing.”

She nodded. “The calling. It’s Corypheus. The Wardens think it’s part of a plan to stop the blight. So they’re using blood rituals to bind demons. But the Warden mages are being controlled by Corypheus. They don’t realize what they’re doing,” she said softly. “It’s all a big confusing clusterfuck.” She looked over at him again. “In the game, the Inquisitor stops Erimond. Then has the choice of banishing the Wardens or not. I never banished them when I played, but…” She shrugged. “Now that Jen and I are here, who knows? The whole thing could go completely different.” 

“You just keep giving me the greatest news, you know that?” he said and thought over it. If the Warden mages were being controlled by Corypheus, they had a problem. “Okay, there’s that. I don’t know. I wish I did. Is there anything that, you know, Chuckles… could do to help us out?” he asked, still feeling horrible about that whole mess.

“I don’t know,” she answered. A sudden thought struck her. “Do you think if I went to sleep that maybe he could find me in a dream? He… he did that in the game with the Inquisitor. And he found Jen in a dream back at Skyhold. I could at least let him know that we’re alive and where we are, in case Cole didn’t hear me.” She stopped and deflated a bit. “But I don’t even know what time it is right now. He might not even be asleep.” She chewed her lip, remembering the oath she and her sister had made to him, and the one he made to them in return. “He’s coming for us. I guarantee it.”

Varric blinked at her and then nodded. “I don’t see why not. It’s our best shot. Tell them to hurry it up, while you’re at it.” He rubbed at the back of his neck, glancing over at the chamber pot in the other corner. “Do you ah, need help with anything before you get to sleep? I can turn away if you need to take care of stuff. And I hear rumors that I make a fairly decent pillow,” he said, patting her arm.

“I’m good,” she said, wrinkling her nose at the pot. She shifted around to lay down, resting her head on his leg. “You do make a pretty good pillow,” she said with a slight laugh. “Mmm, squishy dwarfy-ness.” She snickered at the look he gave her. “Thanks, Varric. Not that I want either of us to be here, but if I have to be stuck here, I’m glad you’re with me.”


	23. Chapter 23

Ragged huffs of heavy breath rent the air, nearly the only sound in this place. The sun beat down upon the search party as they entered the Western Approach. Solas slowed the horse to a walk, feeling its sides quivering beneath him. He raised a hand to shield his eyes against the sun, searching for a place to stop and rest. “There,” he said, seeing a tall cliff that would provide them a bit of shade. He could just make out the tree that swayed in the hot breeze, a hopeful sign of water nearby. He urged the horse forward as he wiped the sweat from his brow. 

Cassandra shared a look with Cullen, then followed Solas. “We cannot stop!” she insisted, ignoring the sweat that trickled down the back of her neck and the exhaustion that tried to fog her mind. “We must get to Varric and Lindsey! If Cole was right, if this lord Erimond has them and is working for Corypheus, we do not have any time to lose!”

Solas turned his horse to look at her. “The horses are animals, not machines, Seeker. They need water and rest. As do we,” he said firmly, then turned his horse again towards the small oasis. 

Cole had come to them, hearing Lindsey’s plea, and told them that while she and Varric were alive, they were in great danger and injured. He also told them of the failed escape attempt and worried that if he went to them, he would only make matters worse. He alone could not save them from Erimond. 

While Solas didn’t fear for their lives just yet, he did worry about how much torture their minds could endure. If Lindsey were broken, if she were forced to tell Corypheus everything she knew… He shook his head and pushed the thought from his mind. No, they would get to them before that happened. He would make certain of it. Though he also worried for Jennifer, who was almost making herself sick after learning it was Erimond who had taken her sister. 

The shade was a welcome relief as he finally pulled the horse to a stop. Blessedly, there was water nearby, just as he had hoped. His legs were stiff and sore as he dismounted the horse, then helped Jennifer down. “Walk around for a moment, vhenan,” he said in a soft voice, then turned to unsaddle the horse. “It has been a long night. We will rest and set out again. We cannot hope to save your sister and Master Tethras if our minds are not clear and we do not have the strength to fight.”

Jennifer nodded and stiffly walked around for a moment, enjoying the coolness of the shade around the water and she walked to an end, groaning as she knelt before dipping her hands into the water and cupping them so she could take a drink. Erimond. Lord fucking Erimond. She absolutely hated that guy. A character well done, but just that. He was a manipulative little worm who knew what to say to trick others into doing what he wanted. They had to get to him. They had to kill him. It was obvious to her now, that the timeline of events that she knew had drastically changed and now everything that she and her sister knew was up in the air. She bit her lip as she stared out over the water, wondering what would happen if Erimond demanded to know anything about the orb Corypheus wielded. 

Cullen groaned as he swung down off of his horse, his entire body aching from riding the whole night through. They had been riding west when Cole had appeared in front of them and gave them more specific instructions on where to go. He actually had some idea of where they were being held as one of Leliana’s reports had said the fortress would be quite beneficial to them if they could clear out whomever had staked their claim in it. He led the horse over to the water and watched for a moment as all of their horses eagerly drank. “We’ve no choice,” he admitted reluctantly, gritting his teeth. His heart hammered in his chest and he didn’t know if he could rest at all, but he knew he had to try. “If the horses give out before we reach Griffon Wing Keep, not only are we dead, but them as well.” He clenched his hands into fists and he closed his eyes at the thought of Lindsey with her wrist broken. “At least they have each other. Maybe that will be enough to keep their spirits up until we get there.”

Cassandra gave a curt nod as she let her horse drink as well. She was furious that they were forced to stop. Even though she was tired and hungry, she could’ve easily put it out of her mind and continued on. She could not push aside the rage and the painfully sick feeling she had in her stomach from when Cole had told her that Varric had been tortured, his finger broken in an attempt to get information out of them. “It will,” she said stiffly, thinking of Varric and how he always managed to keep a cool head, how his stories always seemed to calm anyone around him. “Varric is strong. And he can keep Lindsey safe enough until we reach them,” she said as she filled a water skin, then drank from it as she stood up straight again. “You should all rest. I will take first watch,” she said, turning away from them. She was far too upset to even attempt to sleep.

Cullen nodded at Cassandra, seeing the way she gripped her own weapon and shield. He definitely didn’t want to cross her. And Maker had better help those men who had taken their friends. Their loved ones. He let out a shaky breath. “We will find them, Cassandra.” He looked worriedly over at Jennifer who was staring out over the water. He had wanted to send Cole to them, to help them, but if what Jennifer had said about the Grey Warden mages and their abilities to bind demons with blood rituals, it was a risk that couldn’t be taken. “We’ll rest a little bit now, we should be back on the trail in a few hours and should reach the keep by tomorrow.”

Solas looked over at the commander and gave a nod. A frown crossed his lips as he looked down at Jennifer and he sat next to her. The breeze off the water, sitting here in the shade, was blissfully cooler. “Vhenan,” he said softly and placed a hand on her back, running it firmly up and down her spine. “You must rest. Saving your sister will mean nothing if you kill yourself in the process. Come. Lay down with me. We will get to her as swiftly as possible.”

Jennifer looked over at Solas, leaning towards him as he rubbed her back. She was worried. Beyond worried. To know that her sister was in danger, in trouble and not being able to do anything about it? It was the worst feeling in the world and she couldn’t even imagine what they were going through. Somehow, she had a feeling that it was her fault. Somehow they could have prevented this from happening. “It’s not right, Solas. Everything is wrong. My sister and Varric are sitting in a dungeon, being tortured. I don’t think I can rest. Not until they are safe,” she said, desperation evident in her voice and she traced a little rune into the sand before her. “Goddess watch over them both,” she said numbly.

“You must,” he insisted. “You will not be able to continue on if you do not rest. And that will help neither your sister or yourself.” He didn’t want to rest either, but even he knew the limitations of his body. All night long they’d followed the trail, racing as fast as the horses could go. And riding that hard on horseback was hard on the riders as well as the animals. He moved to lay back and tugged at her until she laid next to him. “Sleep, vhenan. I promised to watch over you and your sister. We will find her and we will save her. Now rest,” he said softly and let his fingers comb through her hair, trying to relax her enough that sleep would claim her.

Another fear lanced through her as she thought about it, what if they couldn’t save her sister? What if the worst were to happen and they killed her before they got there? What would happen to Solas if that was the case? Would he die from that broken promise? She squeezed her eyes shut and turned her face into his side as the tears threatened to fall down her cheeks. “If you find her in the Fade, tell her I love her. That we are coming for them. Please. Please tell her I’ll do whatever it takes.”

He held her tighter, turning his face into her hair. “I will,” he promised softly. A knot formed in his throat to hear her so distressed and his heart sank. He wrapped his arm around her as if trying to shield her from it all. “It will be alright,” he reassured her. “Now rest. The sooner we sleep, the sooner we can set out again.”

* * *

 

Cassandra paced the edge of the shade, keeping track of where the shadows fell and the position of the sun to tell her what time it was. She intended to let them sleep just a little while longer before she traded post with Solas. Her fingers tapped on the grip of her sword as she turned again, wishing she had her armor as well. If only it had fit under the uniform. She made a promise to herself that from now on, she would not go anywhere that didn’t allow her to wear her armor. 

Once or twice, she thought she saw something moving on the horizon. Something or someone. But out here in the heat, it was easy to have your eyes play tricks on you and she dismissed it when nothing came from the blurry movements. It could’ve been an animal as well. She paused and looked at the ground again, deciding she was just about calmed down enough to rest for an hour or so when a scream behind her made her heart stop and her blood run cold. She spun on her heel, sending sand flying, and drew her sword all in one quick, smooth movement. “Jennifer!” she exclaimed and ran forward as she saw the other woman being grabbed and dragged away by men she didn’t recognize.

She had fallen into a somewhat uneasy sleep, but it had been sleep. So when she was rudely awakened by hands grabbing her shoulders and hauling her up, she half expected Solas to be shaking her awake, saying it was time to go. When she opened her eyes, she didn’t recognize the men grabbing her, save for the Venatori garb that they wore. So she screamed. “HELP ME!” she shouted after she drew breath again and struggled in their grasp, kicking out with her feet and arms, trying to scratch or hurt whomever she could reach. “Get your fucking hands off me!” Fear lanced through her, where did they come from? Why were they attacking her?!

Solas awoke with a start, horror ripping through him as he saw Jennifer being taken away from him. “No,” he snarled and got quickly to his feet as Cassandra came running. He grabbed up his staff and carefully aimed a spell at one of them, encasing the man in ice. “Let go of her!” he shouted, blocking a spell one of their mages tried to aim at him. Oh, these men did not know the danger they were toying with. Solas felt a rage in his chest that he had not felt in millenia. A feral growl sounded low in his chest and for a moment, he thought he might lose all sense of reason. Might lose himself. And it took everything he had to hold that part of him back.

Cassandra relished the excuse to stab someone. “Release her!” she ordered as she ran one through with her sword, then let him slide to the ground. She sneered as one pulled Jennifer in front of himself like a human shield and held a dagger to her throat while the others turned to fight. A fast swipe of Cassandra’s sword cleared it of the blood dripping from the blade and she fell into an aggressive stance, ready for them. “Let her go and we might let you live.”

Jennifer lifted her neck back as far as she could, whimpering when the blade followed her neck and she felt the sharp sting of it lightly cut her. She swallowed hard as she gripped at the man’s arm, trying to resist as he backed them both up. She looked at Solas, fear in her eyes as Cassandra and him both stood at the ready, looking pissed as hell. It was the little flicker in Cassandra’s eyes telling her that something more was about to happen.

Cullen held his breath as he looted a dagger off one of the men he had taken out when he had woken with a start at the sound of Jennifer’s scream. He immediately spotted the commotion, and the distraction that Solas and Cassandra provided was perfect. He went around the back, catching Solas’ eye and then Cassandra’s as he moved behind the Venatori who was backing up. He had to be careful about the thrust of the dagger. He flexed his fingers around the handle and had his free hand ready. He lunged forward, dagger sinking deep into the man’s back as he wrapped his other arm around him, grabbing the hand that held the dagger to Jennifer’s throat and wrenched it away from her. He followed the man down to the ground, pulling the dagger from his back and turned him over, checking to see if the man was still alive. “Do you work for Erimond?!” he demanded, but cursed a moment later as the man’s head fell back, dead.

Cassandra and Solas took advantage when the others turned to look over their shoulders. The second Jennifer was behind him, Solas unleashed a flurry of spells so swift and violent that Cassandra barely got a shot in on any of them. He was shaking with fury as he turned to Jennifer. “You’re hurt,” he said, frowning at the small cut on her neck, the single trail of blood that slid down her skin. He didn’t trust himself to touch her in that moment, he was still so filled with rage that they had dared try to take her. He gripped his staff with both hands, his shoulders shaking. He’d heard Cullen’s question to the man he killed. “Of course they’re working for Erimond,” he snapped without looking at the commander. “Why else would they have targeted her and not us?” He shook his head slowly, his eyes never leaving Jennifer’s. “I am sorry, vhenan,” he said softly. “I have failed you. You could have been…” He pressed his lips together, unable to even voice it aloud. 

Jennifer swallowed down lungfuls of air, trying to slow her rapidly beating heart she was sure was going to burst out of her chest at any moment. “I’m fine,” she said, having no idea if she was or not. Considering someone had just tried to kidnap her, she was not fine. Not in the slightest. She looked back over the massacre that was the Venatori that littered the ground now. “The fuckers,” she said as she wrapped her arms around herself and bit her lip as she looked around, “How did they know we were here? How did they find us?” 

“We may be closer than we realized. Or they anticipated us coming to rescue your sister and Varric, and they decided to send out men of their own to stop us,” Solas said. He reached out and soothed his thumb over the scrape on her neck, healing the skin over. He looked at her for only a moment before he closed the space between them, wrapping his arms securely around her. “It will not happen again,” he murmured in her ear. He was still shaking, feeling as though the wolf in him was clawing to get out and attack someone. Perhaps more of his power had returned than he thought. “Are you sure you’re alright?” he asked softly.

Jennifer nodded, letting her arms slip around his waist as she let herself be held. She could feel him trembling as well, though she doubted it was from fear. She had never seen the fury in his eyes before and it was rather startling. She looked around, at the men on the ground. “Let’s see if there’s anything useful on them.” She didn’t know what they could look for, water, food, weapons. She looked over at Cassandra and Cullen. Neither looked as though they were ready to travel, especially Cassandra. She had been on watch still when the attack happened. “Shit. Shit shit shit,” she muttered, squeezing her eyes shut, “I hate feeling so helpless!” 

“Hush,” he soothed, watching as Cassandra and Cullen searched the men, but came up with little. A couple more skins for carrying water and that was about all that was worth taking. “They would not venture this far without supplies,” Solas said, squinting his eyes as he looked around. “There are more of them out there, then. And they will be missing their men when they do not return. We must move on.”

Cassandra gave a nod and went to saddle her horse. She knew she needed to sleep before she fell over from exhaustion, but now was not the time to complain. It was her own fault after all. She should’ve woken Solas sooner. Then he would’ve been on watch, more rested than she was, and might’ve stopped those agents before they got to close. “Maker damn it all,” she whispered and bowed her head, rubbing at the tears that stung her eyes. All she wanted was to get to Varric and have him safe and sound back at Skyhold with her. 

Cullen watched Cassandra for a moment as he saddled his horse before he walked over to her. “Would you want to ride with me so that you might get some sleep, Lady Cassandra? We could tie your horse to mine.” He paused as he thought that they would be riding quickly and cursed himself for not thinking that thought all the way through. “Nevermind, I wasn’t…” He shook his head, “It would do us little good if you fell off your horse from exhaustion.”

Cassandra looked at him, seeing the worry in his eyes that mirrored her own. “Cullen,” she said, reaching out to catch his arm. “Thank you,” she said softly. “I appreciate the thought. I will be alright.” She met his eyes, giving him a sympathetic look. They were in the same boat, weren’t they? “I’m worried, too,” she admitted quietly. “We have to believe that they will be alright. But we must press on. We will save them or die trying.”

“We will get him back, Cassandra. I swear it,” Cullen said before he pulled himself up on his horse and looked back at the bandits that littered the ground. “Solas is right. They would not be this far out without some sort of supplies or shelter. Either we are close to the keep or they have a camp that is nearby. I would suggest we keep our eyes open for that as we head for the fortress.”

Solas stopped to pick up one of the daggers the Venatori agents had dropped and slipped it into the belt Jennifer wore. “It is my hope that you will not need it,” he said quietly. “But it is better for you to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.” He pressed a firm kiss to her lips before he took her hand and walked her over to the horse, mounting quickly and pulling her up behind him. “Stay alert,” he said to Cassandra and Cullen. “You may be right, Commander. It would be better for us to find them than the other way around.”

* * *

 

It was early evening before they saw anything of interest again. They rode close to the cliffs as they could, keeping to the shade and shadows. The horses did not have the strength to travel at a fast pace now as it was, and the harsh heat from the sun only made matters worse. And when the sun finally began to sink beyond the horizon, Solas was grateful for it. The temperature began to drop, waking them all a little more as they pressed on.

He saw it then, the glowing orange light of a campfire not too far ahead. He pulled his horse to a stop, looking pointedly at Cullen and Cassandra, then nodded at it. “This could be the opportunity we’re looking for,” he said in a hushed tone, lest his voice carry over the open expanse of ground. “They will have supplies. Food, weapons, water. If we are careful, we may be able to overtake them.”

Cassandra narrowed her eyes, looking ahead, but couldn’t see how many were there at the camp. “How?” she asked. “We do not know if we can take them on. A frontal attack could get us all killed, or worse. We will have to surprise them, sneak up behind them. If we could distract them, draw their attention to one thing, we could perhaps get around them, just as Cullen did earlier with the agent who threatened Jennifer.”

Jennifer blinked ahead at the camp, turning Cassandra’s words over in her head and she nodded. “It’s gotta be me. If I go in there, I can get their attention. It’s likely they won’t kill me. They’ll probably know who I am and I can probably bluff them for a little while, tell them the others sent me ahead or something like that. Not going to be able to do that for long, so I’ll just wait until you guys are in position before I go strolling in,” she said. It seemed like a bad idea, but it was a plan. Never said it was a good plan.

Solas turned in the saddle to look over his shoulder at her as if she’d suddenly lost her mind. “What?” he hissed, his brow furrowing. “No. Absolutely not. I will not risk your life. It is also quite possible they will not recognize you and try to kill you on sight.” He righted himself in the saddle and shook his head firmly. “One of us will do it, not you. Or we will come up with a better plan.” Although Cassandra’s idea would be the best. He knew that. But he would not put Jennifer in harm’s way if he could avoid it.

Jennifer had to stop herself from rolling her eyes and in a quick movement, she pushed herself off the horse. “Nope. It’s gotta be me. You three are excellent fighters, if one of you plays the bait, then that means you are down to two against however many men are over there,” she said as she hid her dagger up the sleeve of the uniform and gave him a look as she put her hands on her hips.

He followed her, landing lightly on his feet. “You’re being foolish,” he snapped, wanting to shake her for agreeing to this. He pressed his lips thin and looked to Cassandra and Cullen for help, but neither of them said a word as they dismounted their horses as well. A muscle ticked in his jaw as he stared hard at Jennifer for a moment. “Oh, you are so stubborn!” He heaved a sigh and shook his head. “Fine,” he gave in, not wanting to start a bigger argument. “Keep your distance. Call for help, say you got separated from your group. Make them think you are weak or injured and let’s hope they take the bait.”

Jennifer nodded, but paused, reaching out to catch his arm as he turned away from her and she gave him a look, searching his eyes. “You know this is the best option. I’m going to be fine with the three of you at my back,” she said before she gave his arm a squeeze, “Just don’t keep me waiting once it’s time.” She backed away from him before she moved forward, stepping carefully through the sand and staying to the shadows as she got as close as she dared. She just needed to wait until they got into their places before she made her move.

“You two go around that side, I will take this one,” Solas said quickly. “Keep out of sight, move as quick as you can without drawing their attention. If we are fast enough, we can overtake them, no matter how many there might be.” He licked his lips and looked over his shoulder at the camp. “We’ve fought worse with less.” 

Cassandra gave a nod and drew her sword, then grabbed Cullen’s arm and moved almost silently in a wide semicircle around the camp. It amazed her how easy it was to be quiet when she wasn’t wearing armor. She crouched low, keeping her eyes on the camp as they drew nearer, and dropped to perch on the balls of her feet for a moment as she looked the camp over. There were two large tents set up with a blazing fire in the middle. She could smell something roasting over the fire on a spit and hear the voices of the agents. “I count six, maybe seven. More if there are any in the tents,” she whispered. Her heart raced and her throat felt tight, but that was almost the norm for her now. Every day seemed to be another battle, another fight. “Come. We must get around behind the camp before Jennifer makes herself known.”

Jennifer breathed out a sigh of relief as she saw the others on the other side of the camp. Though, that relief was short lived as she realized it was her turn to move. Act like a wounded animal. Great advice coming from the wolf. She swallowed and let herself fall into the sand. “Help!! Help me please! Bandits!” she cried, crawling towards the camp. “Please!” she sobbed, “Help me!”

It worked, of course. Every head in the camp turned towards the unexpected cry and Solas moved quickly, taking out one of the men closest to him. It was quick, silent, and he gave a nod of approval as Cassandra and Cullen moved as silent as shadows to take out two more of the men. He nearly cursed as he saw one of the agents running to get to Jennifer. So much for taking them all out before they knew what hit them. He aimed his staff, prepared to strike the man dead, when a weight crashed into him, knocking him flat on his chest. The air was knocked from his lungs as the man on top of him tried to wrestle him to the ground, both of them straining for the staff. He must’ve been inside the tent and heard the commotion. Solas cursed in elven; he should’ve been more careful.

Cullen shouldered into a man as he came out of a tent, while thrusting his sword through another one. It was a clusterfuck, yet even so he could only count an additional four more coming out of the tents adding to Cassandra’s count. Just get up, kill, find another one. It had to work, Lindsey and Varric were depending on them. He turned around, wrenching his sword from one man and thrust it into another, his eyes catching on Jennifer as a Venatori drug her into camp by her hair. His eyes went wide, “Jennifer!”

Jennifer cursed all her luck in the world. The dagger had gotten stuck in her sleeve and she was having the worst time trying to shake it loose while a Venatori grabbed her up by the hair, making her scream out. “ARRRGH, let go!” she shouted, writhing in his grip, trying to turn around. She flailed her arm, if she could just get the dagger to fall a bit more. The man made to grab her shoulder, trying to pull her in closer and instinctively she thrust her arms out at him, trying to push him away. The action caused him to stop in his tracks and he started at her, wide-eyed before he stumbled back, the dagger lodged in his chest. 

Cassandra kicked away the man she’d run through with her sword, turning to see Solas struggling with a huge man who had him pinned to the ground. “Solas!” she cried, leaping through the flames of the campfire to get to him as fast as possible. With an upward swing of her blade, she lopped off the attacker’s head and the body fell limp over Solas, twitching as blood poured forth. “Eh,” she said, her nose wrinkling as she shoved at the body, rolling it off of Solas. 

“Thank you, Seeker,” he gasped as he got to his feet and grabbed up his staff. He and Cassandra both turned; there was only one man left. With a snarl, he cast his spell, dropping the man where he stood. Solas’ jacket was ruined, he was soaked with the other man’s blood, but was otherwise unhurt. “Jennifer,” he said and rushed to her to look her over. “Did he hurt you?” He turned and kicked the body of the man with the dagger still embedded in his chest.

Jennifer was shaking, staring down at the body of the first life she had ever taken. It was an easy thing to do in the game. Just keep shooting until the other guy’s health bar is down and his corpse disappears. It wasn’t the same here. This was reality. She swallowed harshly and shook her head. “No. I’m fine,” she said, trying to reason with herself. It was either him or her and there was no way she was going to have him trump her. Not when her sister’s life was on the line.

He pulled her into his arms, kissing the top of her head. “Good job,” he murmured to her, feeling her shaking. Probably both from shock and adrenaline. He looked over the camp, making certain that there were no others to jump out and surprise them. He would have to search through their belongings, see if there was something new for him to wear. The blood was already turning sticky on the back of his neck. He looked over at Cullen and Cassandra. “Are you alright?” he called to them.

Cullen nodded as he stood up, wiping the blood from his blade. “Yes, surprisingly. It would seem our Inquisition has some inordinate amount of luck when it comes to impossible odds,” he said as he looked around, “And I am very glad for that fact. It looks like they have several provisions. I’ll take a look around and see what they have. Solas, why don’t you check the tents? I’m getting rather tired of these uniforms,” he said as he tugged on the collar of his own.

Solas nodded, putting one arm around Jennifer’s shoulders to walk her towards one of the tents as he used his free hand to unbutton his jacket. He managed a smile for her. “We will see if there is something different for you to wear as well,” he said. “I know you will be heartbroken to be rid of that uniform.” Perhaps it wasn’t the appropriate time to joke, but he wanted to take her mind from what they had just done. He knew she’d never done such a thing and that the first time could be hard. 

He ducked into the large tent, immediately spying a trunk set to one side. It was unlocked and he began to pull items from it. “These will suit us much better out here,” he said as he cast aside the ruined jacket and the shirt underneath. “Here,” he said, handing her some clothes that looked about her size. He paused when he saw the look in her eyes and he stood again, cupping her cheek and running his thumb over her skin. “You did what you had to do to protect yourself,” he assured her. “He would have done the same to you if given the chance.”

She leaned into his hand, closing her eyes as she listened to him. Her fingers curled around the clothes in her hand and she held on to them tightly. “I know he would have, but that shouldn’t make it easier,” she said, but shook her head, “I know I did what I had to do, and I would do it again if it meant that my sister would be safe.” She looked up at him, her brow furrowed with worry. “We have to do whatever we can to save her. Save them.” She closed her eyes and felt tears slip down her cheeks.

He brushed them away with his thumbs. “That’s what I want to hear,” he said and tilted her face up to kiss her lips. He hated to admit it, but this would prepare her for when they set out on their own, help her get used to the idea that lives had to be sacrificed for what was right. He pulled back and met her eyes, the hint of a smile on his lips. “You are braver and stronger than you think,” he said softly. “Now, let’s get cleaned up and get you something to eat. It will help you sleep. And in the morning, we will make our way to the fortress and save your sister.”

She nodded and looked down at her bloodied clothes and stripped out of them without a second thought. She had never been a modest person. All the naked Beltane fire dancing was proof enough for that. She would have to introduce Solas to that some day. It would be good to bring something of her world into this one. She felt the wolf’s eyes on her as she pulled on the new clothing and gave him a smile when she finished. “Perhaps later, I’ll give  you a show with meaning. Right now, my heart isn’t in it,” she said sadly.

He chuckled at her. “I understand,” he said. He looked down at the breeches he still wore and decided that they were clean enough, but he wanted to wash up before he put on a new shirt. He took her hand and led her outside, seeing that Cullen and Cassandra had cleared off the bodies already. He handed his shirt to Jennifer, then scooped water out of the horse trough to rinse the blood from his head and neck. He couldn’t stop the slight swell of his ego or the smile on his lips as he saw her eyes follow the drops of water of his chest and back. “Food first, vhenan,” he said with a slight laugh.

Cullen chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck as he saw the interaction between the two of them. “Ah, Lady Jennifer. I do hate to interrupt, but there are food provisions here. I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind to throw something together for us. Maker knows that you and your sister are the best cooks this side of the Frostbacks,” he said as he moved to strip off his ruined uniform.

“Please,” Cassandra added. “If it is up to him or I, we will all be sick by morning.” Cooking was never something she’d ever taken an interest in. Now that they had settled, she finally realized how hungry she truly was. She felt guilty for it, stopping to rest and eat while Varric was in danger, but she knew she needed the strength to be able to rescue him. She rolled her eyes as Jennifer moved next to her at the fire and began to look over what food they’d found. “Ugh. These men strutting around without their shirts,” she muttered under her breath. Not in a million years would she admit to sneaking peeks at both the commander and the elf. Or admitting that she rather liked the view.

Jennifer grinned and looked up from the food selection, spying both the Commander and Solas heading for a barrel that had water in it to wash up. She gave sidelong look at Cassandra before she looked at the food and started pulling things towards her. The Vints had a lot of spices on them for such a simple outing. “You know, my grandmother always said there was no harm in looking and testing the available produce so long as you didn’t take a bite out of it.” 

Cassandra snorted before she recovered herself and shook her head. “No thank you,” she said stiffly, crossing her arms and looking pointedly away from the men. She had to swallow hard as she thought about Varric then. What she wouldn’t give to have him here with her now. If anything, this taught her how much she should value every moment she had with him. She closed her eyes and bowed her head, whispering a prayer to the Maker that Varric was safe, that he would be watched over until she could reach him. She wished Solas could find Varric in the Fade… Her eyes flew open and she looked up as he and Cullen returned to the fire. “Solas! Were you able to find Lindsey in the Fade? You never did say.”

His eyes widened. “I did,” he answered, giving Jennifer a sheepish look. “In all the confusion, I forgot to mention it earlier,” he confessed. “I told her that we are coming. Just as Cole said, she confirmed where they’re being held, that they’re hurt but nothing life threatening. She was… less than impressed with me for bringing you on such a dangerous mission,” he said to Jennifer. “We were unable to finish our conversation, however, seeing as I was woke so suddenly.”

Jennifer waved her hand in the air. “She’ll get over it,” she said, knowing her sister, “I would have said the same thing to you if our situations were reversed.” She stood up and drug the lot of food with her to the fire before she looked over the pots and pans they had setting aside. “Remind me to ask Dorian why Tevinters carry their entire pantry with them,” she muttered. 

Food was always an easy fallback for her. Whenever her sister or she were stressed, her Gramma would shove her and her sister into the kitchen. They would learn recipes, bless foods, anything and everything to get them focused on the goal at hand. 

She threw the meat into the pot, followed by what vegetables she could find, letting them sweat as she tossed in the spices and stirred them about before she tossed in the generous portions of meat. “I need water. Enough to fill this pot up to here,” she said pointing to the cauldron, near the lip.

Solas nodded and got to his feet again, returning only a short moment later with clean water. He gave her a questioning look, then poured it carefully into the pot when she nodded. He smiled as he sat next to her again, seeing how she seemed to relax as she went about her work. This was her element, where she excelled and felt the most confident. “We shall have to make certain to feed your sister and Master Tethras well when we rescue them,” he said. “We shall set out first thing in the morning. We cannot be far now.”

Jennifer smiled at Solas and watched the water pour into the pot, motioning for him to stop when she had enough. For some reason, that made her sad and she blinked away the tears she had before she stirred the pot. “Yeah, they are going to be hungry. There’s plenty here. We will cook them a feast tomorrow night,” she said, trailing off as she stared into the swirling water, working her lip between her teeth before more tears came to her eyes.

Solas sighed and pulled her against his side. He hadn’t meant to make her cry again. “Shhh, vhenan,” he soothed, rubbing at her back and trying to calm her. He reached out to stir the pot for her, holding her tightly with his other arm. “They are not going to kill her. They know how valuable she is to them.” He paused and frowned again. “But they will undoubtedly see you as just as valuable to them. It was their intention to take Lindsey and you, not Varric. He was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. We must make certain that they do not attempt to take you tomorrow as well.”

Cassandra sat up straighter at that, her heart racing. “So Varric is expendable?” she asked, her voice cracking. For some reason, she’d thought they’d purposely taken him as well. For what, she didn’t know. But now, learning that he wasn’t supposed to be kidnapped, only made her fear worse. She swallowed hard and blinked at the tears in her eyes. So they could kill him and not lose anything valuable to them. She shook her head and stood, turning away from them as she crossed her arms tightly over her chest.

Jennifer sat up straight in Solas’ embrace and she gave the elf a look before she pulled away to go to Cassandra. “No. He isn’t expendable. He isn’t, Cassandra. Varric is a strong man. He is going to survive this. I know he will. He is too important to not make it past this. I swear on my life, that my sister and Varric will make it out alive.”

Cassandra chewed at her nails, trying to take comfort in Jennifer’s words. It did little to ease her fear. “Maker, what will I do?” she whispered to herself. Surprise at herself ripped through her then. It had happened so easily, so naturally, that she hadn’t even realized. Her life was so entangled with his that she couldn’t picture herself without him now. She loved that damned dwarf and hadn’t realized it for what it was until now. She hastily brushed at her eyes, her heart breaking at the thought of losing him. “I can’t…” She almost choked on the knot in her throat and pressed her lips thin again.

Solas bowed his head and pinched the bridge of his nose, his face screwing up. “I cannot say the right thing tonight,” he muttered, feeling guilty for now not only upsetting his vhenan, but the Seeker as well. He looked across the fire at the Commander; at least he hadn’t upset him. Yet. “Seeker, please,” he said, his heart heavy, “I did not mean it that way. They have no reason to kill Varric. If he were expendable, they would have done so by now. Or left him behind at the Winter Palace. Have no fear; we  will  rescue him.” He paused and looked at Cullen. “And Lindsey. By this time tomorrow, we will be well on our way back to Skyhold. All of us.” 

Jennifer looked back at Solas and nodded, she gave him a weak smile before she walked over to him, catching his hands with hers. “None of this guilt,” she said, cupping his face, “I know what you were trying to say and I appreciate it more than you know.” She kissed his cheek gently before she went back to the fire and stirred their food. “I think we are all tired and scared and nothing is going to make it right again until our loved ones are back in our arms.”

Cullen nodded and moved to sit down near the fire, stretching his legs out in front of him before he looked up at the night sky. He felt terrible for resting while Lindsey and Varric were still being held prisoners, being tortured, but they had to rest if they were stand any chance at freeing them tomorrow. He let his lip curl up in the barest hint of a smile, wondering if Lindsey would scold him for not eating enough on his way to get her. 

Cassandra nodded and scrubbed at her eyes with the heel of her hand before she sat down again. Being this emotional wasn’t like her and she blamed the exhaustion and hunger for it. Her stomach growled loudly at the scent of the soup cooking and she wrapped her arms around her middle, her face turning slightly red. “Let us eat so we can rest and get going again as soon as possible,” she said. “It matters little whether they intended to take Varric or not, what they may think of him. Because I’m getting him back.” She accepted a bowl of the stew when Jennifer passed it to her, murmuring a thanks, and blew across it only for a second before she began to devour it. She didn’t care that it seared her throat and burned her tongue. All she wanted to do was to eat and get to sleep. The sooner she slept, the sooner the morning would come. And that meant the sooner she would have Varric back in her arms.

Jennifer passed out soup to Solas and Cullen before she helped herself and she sat down near the elf and gave Cassandra a small smile. “Seeing as how you and Varric met, I’d bet that you’d never think he would come to matter this much. You are good for each other,” she said before she ate and laughed a little when she saw Cullen nod.

Cullen smiled at Jennifer and looked down into his bowl for a moment before he looked back up, “I think I speak for all of us when I say that you and your sister are welcome additions to this world. No matter what changes may or may not happen. It is worth it to endure them if it means having you around.” 

Solas nodded his agreement. The soup seemed even more delicious than normal, a welcome heat filling his stomach as he ate. Everyone fell silent as they eagerly ate their meal and after a second helping, he finally set his bowl aside. “Perfection as always, vhenan,” he said softly to her and pressed a kiss to her temple. He stood with a groan, looking out into the darkness. “I will take first watch,” he said, seeing the way Cassandra’s head nodded in exhaustion. “All of you get some rest. We have a long day ahead of us.”


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: More violence in this chapter that may be cringe-worthy. Not as bad as things we've done in the past, but still thought we would warn everyone.

Solas waited until he was certain everyone was asleep. Though he was tired, probably too tired to accomplish it, his curiosity getting the better of him. When the agents had tried to kidnap Jennifer, right out of his arms no less, he’d barely been able to contain it. He hadn’t felt that powerful since he’d woken over a year ago. It had been a moment of sheer fury that sparked it. But now… now he wondered if he could do it. If he could transform, if his power had returned enough to do so.

He stood stiffly, flexing his fingers as he stared at the ground, trying to concentrate. He thought about how he felt, the fear and hurt in Jennifer’s eyes as they tried to take her, the pure rage that seemed to fill him. There it was. He almost gasped as he felt that part of himself awake, and he pushed through it, gritting his teeth. His muscled tensed and bunched, changing slightly, he could feel his face trying to reshape itself into the huge six-eyed wolf. So close. So close, he could feel it happening, his jaw elongating, his vision becoming sharper in the darkness…

“ARGH!” he cried as it slipped away from him and he fell to his knees, sweating and panting. The transformation had never hurt before. It had been so long since he’d done it, it was as if his body had forgotten how. He ran a hand over his face, feeling his features had returned to normal. “Damn it,” he cursed and punched the ground, bowing his head in frustration.

Jennifer startled awake when she heard the cry and her heart jumped in her chest as the fear chased away her drowsiness and she scrambled for the tent flap, grabbing her dagger up from the ground. “Solas! Are you…” She trailed off as she saw him kneeling on the ground, but there didn’t appear to be any danger around. Still, she looked over the area as she climbed out of the tent and walked over to him. “Are you alright? What was that noise? Did you hurt yourself?”

He looked up at her and quickly wiped the sweat from his face. “I’m fine,” he answered a little too quickly and realized just how out of breath he was. Transforming had never hurt before. He sat back on his heels, trying to offer her a comforting smile. “I did not mean to wake you.” He reached out and took her hand, pressing a kiss to her soft skin. “I was… I thought perhaps…” He gave a sigh and ran a hand over his head. “I thought I might be able to transform. When you were almost taken earlier today, it was as if I could barely hold it back. Or so I thought. But it would seem I was mistaken. I am not strong enough yet,” he said, shaking his head.

She moved to kneel next to him in front of the fire, studying his face as it was thrown into harsh relief from the light. “You were trying to turn into the wolf?” She smiled at that and gave his hand a squeeze as she watched him. “Maybe you do have the power to change. It’s hard to recreate that exact moment. It’s missing the fear, the adrenaline. The danger.” She leaned against him and looked into the dancing flames. “Not that I want to go through that again anytime soon,” she said, “What would you have done if you did transform?”

“Slaughtered them all,” he answered. He gave a sigh, his shoulders relaxing. “I don’t know. Had it been just you and I yesterday, I would have let it happen. I was so close, I could feel it,” he said, his hands over his chest where he felt the power the strongest. “But even though Cassandra knows who I am, what I did, I doubt she knows that I am capable of such a transformation. And Cullen knows nothing of who I am. I would prefer to keep it that way.”

“Does it matter?” she asked as she ran her thumb over the tops of his knuckles, “It wouldn’t be a far stretch to explain your transformation. I know there are mages who are shapeshifters. Morrigan for one. We could say the same for you and they would believe it.” She looked up at his eyes, they were glittering in the firelight, “Let it happen next time. We will figure out something.”

He met her eyes with an intense gaze. “There will not be a next time,” he said firmly. He had to swallow hard before he could speak again. “Almost losing you to them… I cannot. I will not allow you to be in so much danger again. That was what caused it, the fear of losing you, the anger I felt when they thought they could take you from me.” He looked down at their hands, squeezing hers just a little tighter. “I care too much about you, ma lath.” He leaned in and pressed a firm kiss to her lips.

She shivered at the intensity with which he spoke and it shook her to the core. She couldn’t remember a time when all she had was her sister or her Gramma there to care for her. To have him worried over her and to be so passionate about it, it was almost mind boggling. She leaned her forehead against his, as she ended the kiss, reaching up to cup his face. “You have no idea how much you mean to me. What it means to hear you say that. I wouldn’t want you to go through that again either, Solas, but what about tomorrow? When we reach the fortress and we have to save the others? I’m not just going to sit idly by and wait for you all to come back. Someone could kidnap me or worse without you there and then we will be in the same situation all over again.”

Determination crossed his face and he shook his head. “I will not let that happen,” he nearly growled and sat up straighter, trying to concentrate again. He breathed deeply through his nose, gently shaking his hand free of hers as he tried to recapture that moment, that feeling. He tried to imagine how it would feel if they were so close to rescuing her sister, only to have her taken away from him. A snarl curled his lip and his breath became heavier. He hunched over, a feral wolf-like growl rumbling in his throat as he shivered. The muscles in his back and shoulders felt like they were ripping, the bones in his face seemed to snap as they tried to reform themselves. His fingers dug into the hard-packed sand beneath him as he pushed himself harder, trying to force the transformation. The growl turned into a pained cry and he fell to his side, panting and wincing. It was no use.

Jennifer winced and reached out to him, resting her hands on his shoulder. “Easy, it’s going to be okay,” she said as she rubbed at his back, frowning at the pain he was in, “When you need to transform, you will.” She reached out and wiped the sweat from his brow. “You try to do so much on your own. You don’t have to do that any more. Don’t be reckless and get yourself hurt because you are the first man I’ve ever wanted to run away with. I don’t know what I would do if I lost you.”

He managed a small smile for her at that. He reached out to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. “You’re not going to lose me,” he answered quietly. He let his fingertips trail down the side of her neck, his thumb brushing over her jaw. “Ar lath ma,” he whispered as he met her eyes. He was so used to being on his own, it was hard to think of living any other way. “Be patient with me, vhenan. I have been alone for so long. I am still trying to accept the idea that you are real, that you could want to be with me even knowing my mistakes.”

“Everyone makes mistakes. Not everyone owns up to them and tries to pay for them. Make them right,” she said she sat down, lifting his head up so she could prop him up on her leg and she looked down at him, resting her hand over his chest, “Though, it seems my sister and I are changing everything. What if you don’t like the changes that happen to you because of me?” 

“You have already changed me,” he answered, shifting to lay flat on his back and look up at her. “In more ways than you can possibly imagine. I thought I had everything figured out, that I finally had a plan that would work. But then you came along. And you changed everything. However things may deviate from what you know, I am willing to accept it so long as you are by my side.”

“Such a sweet talker,” she said, smiling at her own little joke as she cupped his cheek. He had that unguarded expression on his face that looked adorable, though he might not appreciate it if she told him so. She remembered the look from when he had taken away her Inquisitor’s vallaslin and it had her thinking that he was imagining a life with her, where he could forge a new path ahead, have something for himself. Right before he denied himself that. “I do believe you are stuck with me for the foreseeable future. You won’t be able to get rid of me. I want to make sure you are happy. That you can have that happiness. You aren’t going to be beating yourself up.”

Solas gave a slight snort at that. “I’m afraid I will continue to beat myself up, as you put it, until the world is made right again,” he said. He folded his arms over his middle and stared up at the stars overhead, enjoying the comfort her touch and presence brought him. “I do not deserve happiness,” he murmured, more to himself than to her. He looked up, his eyes meeting hers again. “But I want it. I want that with you, to have you by my side as I try to set everything right again.” He took her hand in his, tangling their fingers together, and rested them over his heart. “Are you certain you want this? No matter what may come?” he asked, swallowing the lump in his throat. 

Jennifer felt a warmth in her chest and she nodded at him. “Yeah. Yeah I do,” she said, swallowing past the lump in her throat and felt tears in her eyes from the happiness, “Whatever comes next, I’ll be ready for it. They won’t be able to keep us down.” She looked at their fingers threaded together resting on his chest. “I’m still dazzled that I’m here, that you would even look my way. I’m glad that I got this chance,” she said as she used her other hand to smooth down his brow, chasing away the wrinkles there before she brushed over his eyebrows. “Ar lath ma.”

He smiled, his heart warming to hear her say those words. He reached up and tugged her to lay down next to him. “Ar lath ma,” he repeated back to her as he wrapped his arms around her, pressing a firm kiss to her lips. He knew he didn’t deserve her. He also knew that she might not like his plans to restore the world. But the selfish part of him wanted her, wanted her love, and he couldn’t fight it. He kissed her long and slow, enjoying the moment, before he pulled back and rubbed his nose against hers. “Shall we wake Cullen so we can go lie down?” he asked.

She couldn’t get the smile off of her face as he rubbed his nose against hers and she nodded. “Yes. Let’s wake him up,” she said as she studied his face, enjoying the feeling of his arms wrapped around her, “You spoil me, you know. As corny as this is going to sound, every moment with you is a treat.”

* * *

 

Lindsey awoke with her head still in Varric’s lap. Her body felt stiff and sore from sleeping on the stone floor, her arm throbbing something awful. She blinked up at the dwarf, who looked about as bad as she felt. “Hey,” she said sleepily. Even though the conversation had been brief, and she knew the situation was bad, she felt better. “Solas found me in my dream,” she said. “They’re coming for us. They know where we are. Cass and Cullen and Jen are with him. Cole heard me, just like you said.”

Varric started awake, blinking in the darkness while his vision cleared. He almost had to ask what Lindsey said before the words processed in his head. His body was aching and his hand felt like it was on fire. He looked down at Lindsey. “Chuckles found you, huh?” He couldn’t believe the relief that went through him as he heard her confirm that the others were coming for them. “Of course Curly and the Seeker would be the ones to come after us. I imagine they threatened anyone who protested, but why is your sister coming? Isn’t that dangerous for her?”

She pressed her lips thin. “Yeah, I wasn’t happy when I heard that. Solas made some lame excuse about her being stubborn and insisting on coming, they were wasting time arguing or some shit. If we make it out of this, the first thing I’m gonna do is kick the elf in the shin for bringing her along.” She narrowed her eyes and stared up at the ceiling, huffing in irritation. “She has no business coming here. It’s way too dangerous for her. Oh, she’s so stubborn. I might have to kick her too.”

Varric laughed at that and rubbed affectionately at Lindsey’s hair,.“Aw, aren’t you the loving sister?” he said before he leaned his head back against the wall, looking up at the ceiling. “First thing I’m going to when we get out of here is getting the hell out of these stupid rags and getting a bath. I need to wash that mess at the Winter Palace off of me. Maybe find a proper healer while I’m at it.”

The corner of her mouth twitched as she thought about soaking in a hot bath and putting on clean, comfortable clothes. “And then I’ll cook us a huge feast. I mean, huge. Like, just every single food I can get my hands on. And we’ll all just sit around and eat until we can’t possibly take another bite. And then I’ll break out the desserts,” she said with a slight giggle. The idea made her happy, lifted her spirits a bit to think about being anywhere but here.

He smiled and looked down at her. “That sounds great. Then I could get a game of Wicked Grace going after we eat, drinks on me, of course. Been awhile since I bought everyone a round or two.” He sighed. “I wonder if I could convince Curly to join in on the fun. You should convince him to come along. He’s terrible at the game.”

She couldn’t help but waggle her eyebrows. “Anything to get the Commander naked. I’m in,” she said with a nod. She tried to bite her lips to keep herself from smiling, but failed miserably. “I’m gonna put those silk sheets on his bed. I know Dorian was joking about it, trying to antagonize us, but I’mma do it.” She thought for a moment, thinking of what else she could do when they got back that would be fun. “And I’m gonna make you all celebrate Christmas with me and Jen. I doubt you have that holiday here, but we’re gonna do it.”

“I’m going to tell Cassandra I love her,” Varric froze as he said it, the words slipping out of his mouth before he could stop them and he blinked a moment, the silence that filled the room rather resounding and he took in a breath before he looked down at Lindsey. Just because he blurted them out didn’t mean it was any less true. He was astounded at himself and he thought it over. Did he really love Cassandra? The woman who kidnapped him, interrogated him. Stabbed his books and called him a liar. Who secretly loved his worst series ever and drank in every word he ever wrote because she believed it was wonderful. Who was honest with him even when it wasn’t easy, who made him want to be better, to do better. “Yeah.”

“Awww!” Lindsey gushed and pushed herself up with her good arm. She couldn’t stop the silly, happy look on her face as she studied his expression. “You really do love her, don’t you?” If her wrist hadn’t been broken, she would’ve clapped her hands. She didn’t know why that made her so happy, but there it was. Maybe because they had become such dear friends to her and it made her happy that they were happy. She thought back to when she had first read his cards. “See? You didn’t want to believe the cards, did you? Told ya so,” she teased.

He chuckled at that. “No, I didn’t. To be honest, I thought you were trying to pull a fast one on me. I can’t say that I’m disappointed. She’s, well, you know how she is. Now I’m having a hard time seeing the future without her in it.” He rubbed at his jaw, scratchier than normal from the stubble that grew overnight. “I wrote a letter to Bianca the day before we left for the Winter Palace. It should be on it’s way to her now. I told her it was over. It wasn’t easy, but,” He trailed off and looked back at Lindsey, “I wanted to be selfish. Have something that could actually be mine one day.”

“That’s not selfish, Varric,” she said. “Keeping Bianca as a fall-back plan would be selfish. That’s what she did with you. But I’m proud of you for breaking it off, for what that’s worth. I know you really cared about Bianca and that you have a long history with her. But Cassandra’s good for you. And you for her.” She paused and thought about it for a minute. “You think Bianca’s gonna start any trouble because of that?”

“Nah,” he said as he thought it over, “Sending assassins was really more of her family’s doing rather than hers. She’d most likely come in person if she wanted to make anything of it. I doubt it. I heard she and what’s his name were going to start trying for a kid soon.” He sighed and closed his eyes, leaning back. “We had some good times. We both made promises to each other, but I think I’m ready for a promise that can actually be kept.” 

“You deserve this, what you have with Cassandra,” she said as she shifted around to lean against the wall next to him. She turned her head to look at him. “I don’t know why you think that you don’t. You’re really cool, Varric. And if Bianca does show up, let me and Jen handle her. We’ll scare her off, threaten to hex her or something. Ooooooo!” she said, wiggling her fingers exaggeratedly. She snickered at herself, then thought about what else she would do as soon as she got back to Skyhold. “I’m making protection amulets for everyone,” she said, her good hand going to her bare neck. “Keep everyone safe. I shouldn’t have given mine away, trying to protect that stupid girl.”

“Hey,” he said, reaching down and squeezing her arm. “You did what you thought was best. It was to save a life. It’s not your fault. Every life is precious. Whether you gave that amulet away to save one life or one million, it counts. That’s all that should matter,” Varric said as he brushed her cheek with his thumb, “But protection amulets sound like something I could get behind. I’ll even give you the funds you need to make them. Just bill me.”

She laughed. “You got a deal,” she agreed with a nod. She sighed and slumped down the wall a bit. “I just want to go home. I miss Jen. I miss Cullen. I’d give anything to be in bed with him right now, looking up through that stupid hole in his ceiling,” she said. “You wanna fund something, fund that. He’s gonna freeze to death up there one of these nights.” She leaned her head on Varric’s shoulder. “You know, despite all of this, I’m still glad I came here.”

Varric chuckled at that and leaned his head against hers. “I am glad we got thrown into your world in the first place. Guess that red lyrium was good for something,” he said, letting a smile creep across his face, “Even with all of this. It was worth it. You showed me something I didn’t expect to find. Something I didn’t think I could have. Thank you. Really.” He closed his eyes. “I don’t think I’ll take another day for granted. This… this is shit. You said you know Erimond. Does the bastard get what’s coming to him?”

“Depending on what the Inquisitor decides to do with him. I had my Inquisitor execute him, another time I had him made tranquil. Personally, I thought that was best. He welcomed death, but being tranquil freaked him out. It seemed fitting for him being such a slimey bastard,” she answered. “He’s so full of himself. Saying the Inquisitor has no authority to judge him, blah blah bullshit. A lot of the inner circle didn’t approve, but I thought it was fitting,” she said with a shrug.

Varric chuckled. “I like that. He seemed to be all, ‘Rawr, tell me things,’” he said as he changed his voice, smiling down at Lindsey as he did, “I don’t normally approve of tranquility, but this guy? He deserves it. I’m not usually a man who enjoys things like that, but for him I think I could endure it.” 

“Yeah, that’s kinda how I saw it,” she said. The creaking of a door and footsteps made her sit bolt upright, her heart beating faster. “Oh shit,” she breathed, grasping for Varric’s good hand with her own. “Not again. Please not again,” she whimpered. 

He turned to her, grasping her face in his hands. “Hey, hey listen to me. You got this. Just go somewhere else in your mind. It’s going to be okay. They aren’t going to kill you, you know that. Everything else is just pain and we can endure that to keep everyone else safe.” He leaned his forehead against hers, trying to hide his own trembling. “We got this, Freckles. We will come back here and the others will break us out and we will laugh about it in the end.”

She nodded against him, trying to calm her breathing. That was what she needed to hear, that it would keep their loved ones safe. “Okay,” she said and sniffled, cringing as the keys jingled, the cell door opened. “They won’t break us. They won’t. No matter what.” She cried out as rough hands grabbed her and yanked her away from him, dragging her to her feet.

Varric hissed as they grabbed his arm, jostling him with unneeded roughness. He let his head hang low, staring at the ground as they moved quickly through the halls. He swore up and down as he recognized the doors to the room that they had been in the night before and he felt a growl working up in his throat as he watched Erimond move to stand in the middle of the room. He had that stupid smile on his face that had Varric growling at him before he even said a word.

Lindsey held her arm close to herself, trying to keep them from jostling it too much, but it did little good. She was even more afraid of Erimond now than she had been the day before. Now she knew what he would do to get what he wanted. She swallowed harshly, telling herself over and over that anything she had to endure would keep her sister safe. Would keep Cullen and all the others safe. She could do this. She had to. And just when the tension seemed like it might become something tangible in the room, just when she was prepared to try to put it all out of her head as much as possible, they turned to Varric instead.

“So, Master Tethras is it?” Erimond drawled, “I’m hoping after spending a night in our finest accommodations would have helped you see just how bad things can get for you and the seer if you don’t start telling us what we want to know. Granted, I know you can’t see the future, but perhaps you could tell me about this world you traveled to. More specifically, how did you do it? Reports from my spies tell me you said something about red lyrium landing in the middle of a rift?”

Varric nearly sighed out; so this was how it was going to go. Already he found himself wishing that Cassandra was interrogating him. She was easy, this guy was dangerous. He never could stand bullies. “Why do you want to know? Planning on taking a holiday there? The weather was good for it.” He watched as Erimond’s expression took on a rather unamused quality. “I mean, I doubt your boss could conquer anything over there. It was a freak circumstance, really. You know how it is with the whole dwarf thing. I don’t know much about how all that magic crap works.”

Oh he was such a smartass. Lindsey stared hard at the floor, concentrating on keeping her expression neutral. Part of her was tempted to tell them how to get to her world, let them try to conquer that. She wondered how magic would hold up against modern weapons. Not like she had anything back there worth protecting anyway. “You could always try it,” she said, casting a glance at Varric out of the corner of her eye. “Go ahead. Chuck a piece of red lyrium into a rift. See if it works.”

Erimond’s eyes flickered over to Lindsey before he walked over to her and drew back his hand, slapping her hard across the face. He laughed as she jerked in the hold of the guards, at the way Varric shouted and tried to struggle against his captors. “Stupid bitch. I gave you a chance to talk yesterday. You weren’t feeling very chatty, so today we will be asking the dwarf the questions.”

She felt simultaneously guilty and relieved at that, even as pain bloomed across her face and she tasted blood in her mouth. She’d barely managed to hold out on them yesterday. And she thought Varric might be better at talking circles around them, or at least not giving them what they wanted. But then why had they brought her along? Oh… She grit her teeth, trying to breathe calmly. They were going to use her to try to get him to talk. Fuck.

“Ah, I think you understand now,” Erimond said as he smiled at her, “I wasn’t sure if you’d catch on or not, I’m finding the people down here are so dull witted it hurts.” He turned back to Varric, “So, just as a little more incentive for you to tell us honestly what you did and what was going on in the exact moment, this girl will be helping us out.” He tilted his head as if he were pondering something deeply. “Now, where to start and how to do it. There are so many ways to break bones, skin, flesh, and all that lovely business.”

“Don’t you fucking touch her. I’ll tell you what you want to know, just keep your hands off,” Varric growled, gritting his teeth so hard that he thought they would surely crack. “It was a freak accident. Inquisitor closing a rift, I see some red lyrium. Hear it, whatever the hell that stuff does, so I go and do what any sane person would do and destroyed the damn thing. We’re all lucky that we didn’t get vaporized when the red lyrium flew into the rift. Aside from that, I couldn’t tell you what else could have happened to pull us through. It’s possible something was happening on the other side of that damn portal that we have no clue about.”

Nothing Varric said was something that people didn’t already know. Lindsey sucked the split in her lip, hoping that Erimond would be satisfied with that information. She couldn’t fight the shakes that shook her. Erimond’s words were more than terrifying. Part of her hoped that he would just send them back to their cell, leave them be until Cullen and the others showed up, yet she knew it couldn’t be that easy. She swallowed hard and just kept staring at the floor, wishing she knew a way out of this, wishing she was stronger, braver, anything that would stop this.

Erimond raised an eyebrow at Varric. “Are you certain you are telling me the truth? They say you are a compulsive liar,” he said as he turned around to look at Lindsey again before he walked over to a table in the corner and picked up a device that looked like a little vice and he walked back over, his hand extended to take Lindsey’s in his own as he moved to fix the little vice so her thumb was in between the two bars and he began to tighten it. “So tell me. Should I believe you? Or should I make your friend here scream out in pain first? I might be more inclined to listen to you then.”

“Shit! Stop! I’m telling you the truth! The red lyrium went in, it created a vortex, we got sucked in and then it was as if we were waking up in that new world. That’s all I know about it! I’m not a mage, I don’t have any theories, I can’t help you with anything more!” he cried out, his voice getting higher as he watched Erimond fiddle with the thumbscrew and he locked his eyes with Lindsey’s.

Erimond grinned and looked down at the digit in the little trap, starting to turn a deep shade of red from the force that was being applied to it. “You know, I don’t think I’ve actually seen a bone crushed before,” he said, to one of the guards, “It is messy? Does the skin pop and blood go everywhere?” 

“Fuck,” Lindsey whimpered, “Fuck, fuck, fuck.” The pressure in her thumb was unimaginable, and he hadn’t even tightened it that much yet. “He’s telling the truth! That’s all we know!” she cried, trying to yank her arm away from Erimond. Tears of pain and fear burned her eyes. “Please stop! Please!” She grit her teeth and tried not to scream out as Erimond gave the screw another turn, surely her thumb would crack at any moment. “STOP!”

Erimond laughed, smiling widely at the woman before he grasped her face with his hand and turned her to him. “I thought I told you to be quiet?” He sneered before he let go and twisted the thumbscrew a few more, definitive times, his ears relishing in the sound of the crack that echoed in the room. 

Varric’s eyes widened in horror at the mess that was Lindsey’s thumb, the skin split, muscle and tissue showed beneath while blood poured out of the ruined digit and he ripped an arm free of one of his captors, trying to lunge for Erimond. He grabbed the edge of his robes before he was tackled and shoved to the ground. He cried out as a boot connected with his side and he screamed when he felt the ribs actually crack. “Fuck… Fuck you, you lying bastard,” he gasped, “Don’t touch her again.”

Lindsey screamed and sobbed, the pain worse than she ever could have imagined it being. She’d never realized how goddamn painful thumbscrews were. She had to swallow hard to keep herself from vomiting, the pain made her so sick. “Fuck you,” she spat, glaring up at Erimond through her tears. Now both of her arms were useless, her wrist broken and her thumb all but ruined on her other hand. “You’re going to pay for that,” she hissed through her teeth before she choked on another sob. 

Erimond rolled his eyes as he unscrewed the device, giving a disgusted look to the destroyed flesh beneath. “Oh dear. You might want to get that looked at sometime soon. However, in the meantime, why don’t we make the other hand match this one?” he asked as he moved the thumbscrew to the broken hand. 

“WAIT! Stop! Don’t hurt her any more. If you want information out of me, you torture me. She’s done nothing! She has nothing for you,” Varric spat, trying to think of a million stories he could spin to throw this guy off of the scent. A million times he could spin circles around the guy and when he needed it, they were just out of reach. He couldn’t think clearly. “We were in the Emprise du Lion. Highest concentration of red lyrium anywhere. If you want a portal to the other world, start there!”

It was a stupid move, she knew that, but when Erimond grabbed her broken wrist, Lindsey thought she might lose her mind from the pain. She kicked out at him, her foot connecting with the back of his knee. It wasn’t much of a kick, but it was enough to make his leg buckle and he fell to a knee. Her eyes went wide in horror at what she’d done and she tried to scramble backwards away from him. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to!” she cried, terrified at what he might do in retaliation.

Erimond was livid and seeing red as he stood up. He closed his eyes and could feel the growl working at the back of his throat. He turned away from them, throwing the thumbscrew onto the table and looked over the instruments laid out. He smiled when his gaze landed on one and he turned to speak over his shoulder, “Chain them to the wall, arms above their heads.”

Lindsey cried out again as the sling Varric had made for her was ripped away and her wrists shackled. By the gods, that hurt. She didn’t even try to fight as the guards led her across the room and chained her to the wall. She had no choice but to willingly stand there with her arms above her head; her wrist couldn’t take the strain. Blood from her thumb dripped down her arm. Begging was useless at this point and she could do nothing but stand there and shiver in fear, wondering what would come next. 

Varric bit his lip so hard he tasted blood as he and Lindsey were forced to stand next to each other, arms elevated, their broken bones jostled. Magic or no, they were going to be feeling those wounds for a long time. The metal around his wrists pinched and dug into his skin and he turned his head as best he could towards Lindsey. “You stay with me, you hear? Don’t you leave me now. We’re going to get through this,” he said firmly. 

Erimond rolled his eyes as he picked up a whipping stick from the table and stalked back over to them. “You two are the absolute worst at following simple instructions, aren’t you?” he muttered before he drew his arm back with the stick, a concentrated look on his face before he swung down, lashing it across Varric’s back, making the dwarf cry out. He smirked at his handy work, the thick red line that appeared on the tattered shirt he wore was almost immediate. He quickly added two more to his body. 

Lindsey wanted to cry all over again as she heard Varric cry out. Hearing him in pain like that was almost worse than enduring the pain herself. “Varric! Hang in there! We’ll be okay! The others, they’re coming. They’ll-” Her words were cut off as searing pain ripped through her back, the stick splitting her flesh open. She couldn’t even scream as the pain stole her breath away. Her knees buckled and for a second, the only thing keeping her upright were the chains, but she quickly regained her footing as her broken wrist shot jolts of pain through her arm. “PLEASE NO MORE!”

Erimond chuckled, this was the better part of his day. If only so many of his problems could be solved this way. He turned back to the dwarf, laying down more hits along his back, crisscrossing the pattern. Their screams mingled in the air and they still tried to encourage each other to hang in there. “Oh please, haven’t you learned what I wanted by now?”

Varric sucked in a breath between blows, the pain was blinding hot and every hit seemed to sap more strength from him and he gasped out his hands clenching into painful fists. “Fuck, stop. Please. STOP. We’ll tell you what you want to know. Whatever you want to know. I’ll tell you how the Inquisitor takes his coffee in the morning, the time he gets up to…” He was cut off as a painful blow landed low across his backside, stealing his breath away.

Lindsey didn’t know how much more she could take. She was nearly ready to beg for them to just kill her at this point. A sudden realization hit her. Varric had already answered the one question Erimond had asked. And he hadn’t asked any more since. “What do you want from us?!” she cried, then screamed out as Erimond hit her with the stick again. She could feel the blood, hot and sticky, as it ran down her back. “Why are you still hurting us?!”

Erimond paused for a moment at her question, the stick raised in the air, blood sliding down it and dripping over his hand. “Hmm? Oh, we’re past the questioning for the day. I’m just enjoying myself now. The sound of your screams are quite exquisite,” he purred, “I had no idea a dwarf’s voice could get so high.” He swung the stick again, not even flinching when the blood spatter landed on his face, “Bet you will think twice when you kick me again, bitch.” 


	25. Chapter 25

Lindsey was barely conscious as they dragged her and Varric back to the cell. She couldn’t even support her own body weight, the pain was too great. When they dropped her flat on her chest on the stone floor, she didn’t even bother to try to move. The cold stone against her face was almost soothing. Her back had to be in shreds after the abuse from Erimond. She cracked an eye open as Varric was dropped next to her and the guards closed the door to the cell. “I… really… hope the Inquisitor… fucks Erimond up,” she gasped out. It was as if every inch of her were on fire and she didn’t know if she would ever be put back right again. Her face screwed up against the tears in her eyes. “I don’t know if I can do this,” she whispered, weakly reaching out to lay her hand over Varric’s. “I wish they’d kill me.”

Varric cracked an eye open, he couldn’t remember a time when he had been in more pain, but he did his best to curl his fingers around hers. “D-don’t say that,” he breathed out. It hurt to move, breath, everything. He’d be lucky if the broken ribs didn’t puncture a lung. “You… you are stronger… than you… know.” His back felt like someone had poured molten slag over it and it wouldn’t stop. “Fuck… the Inquisitor. We get to be… his executioners.” He let his eyes slide shut. “People like him… make me… sick.”

She gave a weak nod, her cheek scraping against the stone floor. “I’ve never wanted to kill anyone before,” she said, gritting her teeth against the pain. “But him? Yeah, I’d like to kill him. Slowly.” She closed her eyes, wishing she would just pass out so she could escape this hell, if even for a little bit. She breathed hard through her nose, forcing her eyes open again. “That is if there’s anything left of him after Cass gets a hold of him. You know she’s going to be furious to see you like this.”

He managed a smile at that, his lips curling upwards. “Shit. Seeker and Curly are going to paint the walls with him. It’s going to break his heart to see you like this. Five royals says he treats you like a queen after this mess. He should anyway, but that’s beside the point,” he muttered into the ground. He groaned as he heard footsteps heading their way and a cold fear washed over him. “Shit. What do they want now?”

“Dear Goddess, no,” she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut and praying for all she was worth that this would stop. She didn’t think she could take one more minute of it. It was too much, too intense. Her fingers weakly squeezed at Varric’s hand, her thumb screaming in pain. “I can’t do any more of this. I can’t, Varric. I can’t,” she gasped out, fresh tears coming to her eyes and dripping down her nose. 

“Heh, Erimond really worked these two over, didn’t he?” came a voice from the other side of the door. The man exchanged a look with his partner as they opened the door and stepped into the cell. “Chain ‘em down first. We don’t need them trying to make another escape.”

Varric held Lindsey’s gaze, “Shhh.” But there was a tremble even in his voice and he couldn’t stop the cry that forced itself past his lips as he was yanked back by his leg and the painful, cold iron wrapped around his ankle. “Haven’t you monsters done enough?” he gasped out. 

The other healer rolled his eyes and yanked the tattered remains of Varric’s shirt off over his head. “Shit, he really did work them over. He’s just pissed off because Clarel is giving him a hard time about the plan,” he muttered as he held his hands out over the torn flesh of Varric’s back. “Can’t believe I have to waste magic on these prisoners. They aren’t worth much, are they?” he asked as his hands glowed and he looked bored over at his partner while he worked, not really caring.

Lindsey whimpered as her shirt was stripped away as well, but didn’t put up a fight as the other healer crouched over her, working his magic over her back. Oh… oh that felt better. She could feel her skin and muscles knitting themselves back together, the bones in her wrist setting themselves. She grit her teeth. It hurt, but not nearly as bad as the wounds themselves. A gasp escaped her as he finished. Her skin still felt raw, her thumb was numb and so stiff she couldn’t move it, but most of the pain was gone. “W-Why?” she gasped out, opening her eye to look over her shoulder at him.

The healer smirked and stood up straight, looking down his nose at her. “Erimond has other plans for you,” he answered vaguely, then nodded to his partner and left, muttering about a waste of time and energy. “Better send some food for them. I swear, that sick bastard is just toying with them, having his fun and wasting our time sending us down here to clean up his mess.”

Varric blinked for a moment, he was sore all over, but he no longer felt like he was dying. “Shit. That’s better,” he muttered as he lifted his previously broken hand and flexed it in front of his face, sighing out as he didn’t feel the bones scraping together. He shivered as he pushed himself up, groaning as he felt the skin on his back stretch, almost as if it were pulled too tight. “Yeah, that pain isn’t going away any time soon,” he muttered as he reached back behind himself and winced when he felt the marred flesh there. “Bastards. Left scars. And I thought they were classy mages from Tevinter,” he spat as he felt over the uneven marks there. 

Lindsey carefully pushed herself up, keeping her back to Varric as she reached for the bloodied shirt they’d pulled off of her. “Fuck,” she muttered. Seeing the shirt only made her realize that much more just how many times Erimond had struck her. Like Varric, the skin on her back felt wrong and she twisted her arm back to touch it, shaking her head. “At least it doesn’t hurt as much now,” she said and pulled the shirt back on to cover herself. She turned to him, seeing the look in his eyes. “It looks as bad as it feels, doesn’t it?” she asked, her heart sinking.

He couldn’t stop his eyes from traveling the long stripes of the scars that covered her back and he couldn’t say anything. “At least we look this good together,” he finally said as he turned, letting her see his own back, “At least.” His voice cracked a little and he wasn’t proud of that. “Tiny might be impressed,” he said sadly before he moved to scoot back against the wall, the cool stone providing wonderful relief against his skin. He patted the spot next to him. “Might as well keep each other warm. We’re going to catch our death of cold in here like this,” he said as he rubbed his hands over his arms.

She scooted across the floor, the shackle and chain on her ankle dragging loudly across the stone. Though she really wanted to just cry and complain, she knew it was better when they tried to keep each other’s spirits up. “Bull is totally gonna be jealous,” she agreed with a nod. “This makes us way more badass, don’t you think?” She tried to force a laugh, but it came out rather sorry sounding. She swallowed hard and blinked away the tears as she bit her lip. “Totally jealous,” she whispered, nodding her head.

Varric nodded and gave her a smile as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, feeling the goosebumps on her skin and he wasn’t sure if it was from the cold or the fear of what was going to happen next. He rubbed at her, trying to warm her up a little bit. “Maybe we can get Dorian to take us back to your world for a moment. They have stuff that works on these things right? All that sciencey stuff. I’m sure I saw a video of it on that… what was it called again? MeTube?”

She really did laugh then. “YouTube,” she corrected him.

“That’s what I said, MeTube!” he laughed.

She shook her head, then looked at him out of the corner of her eye as she leaned into him. “Just how many videos did you watch? Did you find the weird part of YouTube? That shit will sneak up on you and the next thing you know, you’re watching how-to videos of shit you didn’t even know exists. I’m surprised Bull didn’t get on there and find porn, to be honest. Well, not on YouTube, but the internet in general.”

Varric laughed. “I don’t think Tiny had much time for anything besides Sparkler. I’m surprised we even saw them at all. And as for how many videos, I don’t know. I clicked on one and then there were more at the end of that one and I did get lost in that cycle for a while. There are a lot of cats out there, aren’t there? Shit,” he said as he leaned back and closed his eyes, “You know what we should get the people at Skyhold started on next? A hot tub. One of those sounds amazing right now.”

“Ooo, you’re brilliant,” she said. “I know Dorian wanted showers, but a hot tub we could do.” A smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. “Sexy times in the hot tub for the win. I wonder if I could talk Cullen into that.” She gave a giggle at the thought before she sighed and let her eyes close. “We will get back to Skyhold, right? The others are still coming for us, aren’t they?”

“You’re damn right they are coming for us. We’re going to be back there soon, Freckles. We just have to hang in there for a little while longer. Them showing up in the next thirty seconds would be best, but I’m willing to wait another five minutes. Preferably before whatever Lord Asshole comes down here and does whatever he’s planning to do. He wants us alive for something, but I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not at the moment. I’m going with no.” 

“It can’t get much worse, right? And we’ve made it this far without cracking,” she said, feeling the tiniest bit of pride and hope flare in her chest. “If we survived all that, we can take anything he throws at us. I know we can.” She gave a nod as if assuring herself that her words were true. “But yeah, them showing up now would definitely be a good thing. I wish I had a different shirt to put on, though,” she said, looking down and tugging at the dirty thing, knowing the back was ripped and bloodstained. “I don’t want Jen to see me like this.”

Varric nodded. “Well, I don’t think we have much of a choice at the moment. I’d give you something to wear but my shirts not in much better shape and I think I’ll spare you the, uh, pants,” he said as he looked down at the tattered things, “I don’t think you’ll have to worry for long. Curly will probably strip down to his smallclothes to get you decent as soon as he sees you in this state. Then Sparkler will probably pour healing potions down our throats until we can’t see straight. And by healing potions, I mean wine.”

“Mmm wine and naked Cullen,” she said longingly, closing her eyes for a moment. She looked him up and down, then waggled her eyebrows. “You can lose the pants if you wanna,” she teased, then laughed. “Or I can just go shirtless like you. You think that might distract Erimond from beating us for a bit?” She hung her head as her face turned red. “Sorry, bad jokes, I know. I just… ah fuck it. It’s either laugh or cry at this point.”

He nodded. “Yeah, I know the feeling. Joking or screaming and I really don’t want to give that asshole the pleasure. Again,” he said and he looked down at her, “No offense, but I’m sure you don’t want that slimy creep looking at you like that. I think I want to gouge his eyes out any way. If you sleep tonight, tell the others to step on it.” 

She nodded. “I will.”

* * *

 

The messenger was nearly breathless by the time he skidded to a stop in Erimond’s office. “Ser,” he gasped, “My Lord Erimond, Inquisition riders on the horizon! Four of them!” He pointed back the way they’d come. “They are here for the prisoners.”

Erimond looked up from the amulets he was inspecting in his hand, they glowed a soft red color and sang a sweet song. “Finally. I was beginning to think that they would never show up. Have the prisoners brought to me. And bring two sets of armor for them here as well. I have a parting gift for them before we set out,” he said as he turned back to the amulets and laughed before he set them back down in the box on his desk, “Sadly, I don’t think they are going to enjoy it as much as I am.”

The messenger nodded with a slight bow and turned to hurry back out of the office. Within minutes he had the prisoners returned to Erimond, fully suited in armor over the raggedy clothes they wore. “Just as you asked,” he said, still breathless, ignoring the protests from the dwarf and the human about the armor they had on. “The Inquisition forces have almost reached the fortress, my lord. What shall we do?”

Erimond smiled at the messenger. He did so love someone who was prompt and listened to instructions well. “Excellent work. You may leave the rest to me. See that my carriage is ready to go in the back. I have a meeting with the Warden Commander and I don’t want to be late.” He looked at the guards holding Varric and Lindsey and he went back to the box on his desk before he lifted up the amulets. “I am pleased to see you both looking so lively after our session. I’m afraid I have to leave you now, your friends are almost here.” He held up the amulets for them to see, dangling from his fingers, “But I’ve had my people making a, shall we say, a parting gift for each of you.”

Varric’s eyes widened as he saw the red lyrium necklace in Erimond’s hand and he tried to back up, but the guards’ fingers dug into his arms and held him fast. “Shit, keep that crap to yourself. It’s been a great time and all, but I think we’ll do without any of your red lyrium evil thing,” he spat out, his heart thudding in his chest as Erimond stepped forward and held it out to him. 

Erimond laughed and nodded to the guard who forcefully grabbed Varric’s head and held him still so the man could drop the amulet over the dwarf’s head. The effect was immediate and a glassy look fell over his face and he stopped struggling. “Ah, most excellent. I should have more of these made. Too bad they take an inordinate amount of time and resources to make.” He looked to Lindsey and smiled at her. “I didn’t forget about you. Women do so love jewelry, do they not?” he asked. 

“Varric?” Lindsey asked, looking with wide eyes at the dwarf. The empty look in his eyes and the deadpan expression on his face frightened her. “Varric!” She turned to shoot a hateful gaze at Erimond. “What did you do to him?! And you’re just going to run off and leave, aren’t you? You coward! You wait. You just wait until the Inquisition gets their hands on you!” Shit. Weren’t dwarves supposed to be resistant to lyrium? If it had that immediate of an affect on Varric, she didn’t want to think about how strong those things were. She tried to wrench herself away from the guard that held her as Erimond approached her, but it was no use.

He smirked and raised an eyebrow at her. “By the time the Inquisition finds me, it will already be too late and the Elder One will have the army he needs to conquer all of Thedas. You will have the pleasure in knowing that you helped it’s destruction.” He lifted the amulet and put it over her head as well, laughing as she too fell into a state much like Varric’s. “Excellent. Get them weapons. I believe the dwarf is proficient with a crossbow. As for her, let’s try a set of daggers, yes? The two of you are to wait here for the Inquisition forces and when they get here, you will kill them. Then you will travel to Skyhold and kill the Inquisitor,” he instructed them, “Either way, we win.” He watched the guards hand Lindsey daggers and Varric a Tevinter made crossbow with more than enough bolts to fire. He reached to the side and grabbed his staff from the wall and he left the room, “It’s been a pleasure!”

* * *

 

Solas dismounted the horse and helped Jennifer down, looking at the fortress before them. “It is likely they know we are here,” he said as Cassandra and Cullen dismounted their horses. “Be prepared for anything.” He turned to Jennifer, making certain she had her daggers ready, looking over the armor they’d found for her in the camp. “Stay behind me, vhenan. Try to stay out of the fight if you can.” He pressed his lips thin, shaking his head slightly. He didn’t want to take her inside with him, but leaving her out here on her own was even more dangerous.

Jennifer pressed her lips thin and nodded her head at him, gripping the weapons tightly in her hands. “Gonna use these things if those assholes get close enough for me to reach them,” she said as she shifted in the armor and looked around the rest of the group as Cullen and Cassandra readied their swords and shields. “Let’s go get them back. And kill Erimond while we are at it. He can’t die soon enough and I hate everything about him,” she said following the others as they went up to the large wooden door at the front of the keep.

Cullen was a battle smart man and already the hair on the back of his neck was standing up straight, particularly as he looked around. “Shouldn’t there be more guards? Surely they haven’t left.” His heart pounded at the thought and he gripped his sword tighter. No, they had to be here. They had to. He could see some guards up on the highest part of the keep and he calmed himself. “Let’s hurry.”

Cassandra gave a nod and kicked open the door, feeling almost eager for this fight. She was well rested, well fed, and pissed off. She strode forward, her muscles tensed and ready for the attack she knew could come from any direction. And she wasn’t disappointed; immediately her eyes landed on the guards that stood ready just ahead of her and she rushed forward, using her shield to block the first blow a guard aimed at her. 

Solas spun his staff, his spell freezing one of the guards in place. He didn’t like this. They were outnumbered two to one. He swung his staff wide, casting a barrier in front of Jennifer as one of the mages aimed a spell at her. He countered, knocking the mage flat on his back with an attack of his own. He watched as Cullen took on two of the guards at once, a third running straight for him and Jennifer. Solas froze the man in place, encasing him in ice. “Jennifer!” he shouted and nodded at the guard before he ran forward to get a better aim at one of the other guards. He didn’t like involving her, but they needed her help. “Keep one of them alive! We can use him to get us through this place!”

She ran at one of the men frozen in place and plunged the dagger into his heart, or as close as she could get it. She could feel the recoil in her arm, feel the knife scrape against bone and slice through muscle. It was for her sister. Her sister was so precious to her, she would do even this for her, to ensure her safety. It had to be done. She pulled the dagger out and pointed at the other man who looked at her, fear in his eyes, “You are going to take us to the prisoners. NOW.” 

Cassandra turned as the guard tried to back away from Jennifer and she held the point of her sword at the base of his neck. “You heard her,” she snarled. Anger and adrenaline sang through her veins, making her arms shake, but she held the sword firmly. “A woman and a dwarf were brought here. Take us to them and we might spare your life.” She watched as the guard nodded, holding his hands up and she took a step back to let him lead them through the fortress, though she did not lower her weapon. “Good work,” she said quietly to Jennifer.

Solas noted that they were not being led to a dungeon. “What have you done with them? If you are leading us into a trap, you will pay for it with your life,” he warned, his fingers flexing around his staff. Something wasn’t right, there should’ve been more guards than this. Not that he wanted to fight wave upon wave of enemies, but the small number worried him. “Where is this Erimond?”

“I-I don’t know,” the guard stuttered. “I saw the prisoners being taken to his office. He should still be there!” He gave a frightened noise as the point of Cassandra’s blade poked the back of his neck. “I was instructed to guard the door, that’s all!”

Cullen frowned as they were led to the large ornate door. “I don’t like this. It stinks of an ambush. A trap,” he said as he flexed his fingers around the hilt of his sword and he looked to the guard. “You first then,” he said as he pointed at the door, “If there is no trap and our friends are still alive, perhaps you may live to see another day.” He growled and watched as the nervous guard nodded and he moved, pulling the large double doors open. The response was immediate and the only sound was the ZING of a bolt through the air and it embedded itself dead center in the man’s head. Cullen’s eyes widened and hope flared into his chest. “Varric?” he asked as he peered into the room and his blood ran cold at the sight of the behemoth red lyrium monster standing just behind Lindsey and Varric in the middle of the room, “Run you two! Get away from it!”

Solas realized almost instantly that something was wrong. Neither of them acknowledged Cullen, save for the fact that Varric raised the crossbow at the commander’s head. “Get down!” he cried and shoved Cullen out of the way as another bolt zinged through the air, narrowly missing the man. “There is something wrong with them! They are not themselves!”

“Varric!” Cassandra cried, outraged. She knew Solas had to be right, Varric would never in a million years attack them. The crossbow he held was nothing compared to Bianca, it didn’t fire nearly as fast, but that made the dwarf no less accurate. She jerked her shield up just in time to block the bolt he fired at her before she ran forward, determined to beat him until he got his senses back. “Varric, stop! What is wrong with you?!” She cried out as Lindsey came at her with the daggers and had to use her sword to block them. “What is happening?!”

Jennifer sucked in a breath, the look in their eyes hurt her more than anything. It was like no one was home. There was no emotion, no words. Just a blank stare as they attacked them with a passion that wasn’t in their faces at all. “Shit. Fuck, LINDSEY!” she cried out. “Snap out of it! Whatever they’ve done to you, you can fight it!” she shouted, startling herself when the inhuman roar resounded through the room and she saw the Behemoth take a swing at Cullen who ran over to help Cassandra with Lindsey. 

Cullen threw up his sword to block the daggers thrust his way. “Maker’s breath, she’s… she doesn’t know how to fight! She shouldn’t be able to do this!” he cried. “Lindsey, please. Snap out of it, we’re here for you. It’s over! We can leave, go back to Skyhold!” he pleaded before he turned over his shoulder, “Can’t we freeze them or something?! They aren’t listening!” 

“Even if I froze them, it would not break the enchantment they are under!” Solas called back as he aimed spell after spell at the Behemoth. “We would be in the same situation we are now once we unfroze them!” A thought struck him, perhaps if he froze them from the knees down, they could then figure out how to break whatever hold Erimond had over them. He turned to aim a freezing spell at Varric, but before he could cast it, the Behemoth swung at him, catching him around the middle and threw him across the room. His back slammed against the wall and he slumped to the floor, dazed as the air was knocked from his lungs, and his now broken staff clattered on the stone next to him.

Jennifer felt her blood run cold as she saw Solas smacked through the air and hitting the wall far too hard for her liking. For one terrifying moment she thought that the snap she heard was his neck breaking, but let the rush of air out of her lungs when she realized it was his staff. She started to run for him, but stopped when she saw the monster turn her way and her eyes widened as she stopped dead in her tracks. “Please be like a t-rex, please be like a t-rex.” It roared at her and took a lumbering step in her direction. “Shit! That’s not what I meant! Damn it. Why isn’t their vision based on movement?!” she cried as she backed up. She doubted a dagger would be much good against that thing.

Cassandra felt tears in her eyes as she dodged the bolts from the crossbow in Varric’s hands. She didn’t understand what had been done to him, why he would turn on her like this. She knew it wasn’t him. This wasn’t the sweet, charming man she’d fallen in love with. “Varric, please!” she cried out, throwing up her shield again as another bolt embedded itself into the steel. She didn’t want to hurt him, but she realized she might not have a choice. She heard him growl and she lowered the shield a fraction, peering over the top. Now! She saw her chance as he struggled to reload the Tevinter crossbow and she lunged, knocking him over with her shield, sending the crossbow flying across the room. She threw herself on top of him, fighting to pin him down. “Varric, stop! It is me! Stop this now!”

Cullen turned, trying to catch Lindsey’s arms and knock the daggers out of her grasp. His eyes widened as he saw Cassandra on top of Varric, trying to talk sense into him as she struggled to keep him from moving. The dwarf fought back against her, his hands raising up trying to circle around her neck in an effort to choke her. It was then when he saw it. Knocking Varric down had jostled him and there was a soft red glow that appeared at his neckline beneath the armor. He glanced back at Lindsey, jumping to the side as the blade of the dagger scraped by him, scratching into his armor, he could have sworn he felt it trying to cut into him. There, around her neck as well, the hint of a necklace that went down into her armor. He could feel the lyrium pulse from that area. “Cassandra! Their necks! They’re…” He was cut off as Lindsey bashed his chin and he stumbled back, thrusting his shield out, feeling a bit of triumph as her daggers went flying away.

Solas pushed himself to his feet, giving his head a shake to clear it. He reached for his staff, but frowned when he saw it snapped in half. “Fenedhis,” he hissed. Cullen’s words drew his attention and he narrowed his eyes as the amulet around Varric’s neck slipped enough that he could see the red lyrium. “Get the amulets!” he ordered. “Remove the amulet, remove the binding!” His blood ran cold the next moment as he heard Jennifer scream out.

He jerked in her direction, his eyes widening when he saw the Behemoth that had her cornered. “No, Jennifer!” And there it was again, that roaring in his chest, that primal urge to protect her at all cost. He didn’t have a choice. He had no weapon and that monster was mere inches from ripping apart his love. With a roar, he took two running steps and launched himself at the Behemoth, transforming completely, painlessly into the huge six-eyed white wolf. He slammed full-force into the monster, knocking it away from Jennifer, and landed in front of her. Hackles raised, fangs bared, he snarled at it, his tail twitching behind him as he prepared to defend her again. 

Jennifer’s eyes went wide and for a moment, she thought she would pass out from the sight in front of her. Solas as a wolf was enormous. Almost as big as one of those Budweiser clydesdales. She pressed herself back up against the wall as she watched with wide eyes as everyone in the room seemed to focus on the wolf, trying to decide if it was a threat or something. She watched as Solas lowered his head, growling at the Behemoth who roared back at him.

Cullen was shocked, but a sudden swing from Lindsey and he quickly caught her wrist in his hand, twisting her arm around behind her back before he knocked her to the floor. His free hand scrambled, trying to get a grip on the amulet that was around her neck. “Come on, love, work with me!” he pleaded before he finally snagged his fingers around the necklace and yanked for all he was worth. The amulet went flying with a loud snap and clattered as it hit the floor a few feet away.

It was like being suddenly woken from a deep sleep. Lindsey gave a cry as her eyes flew wide, finding herself chest-first on the floor, her arm twisted painfully behind her back. Was it the guards coming to torment her and Varric again? “Get off of me!” she screamed and twisted around, surprised when the grip on her arm released and she turned onto her back to see Cullen. “Oh my god,” she gasped and sat up, feeling like she wanted to scream with joy that he was finally there, but the roar behind him drew her attention and she looked just in time to see the enormous wolf launch itself at the Behemoth. “Shit!”

Solas attacked the monster ferociously, biting and clawing at every inch of it that he could reach. He didn’t care who saw, he didn’t care what the consequences might be, the only thing that mattered was protecting Jennifer. A yelp escaped him as the Behemoth swung and caught him in the ribs, knocking him away. But he got up again, undeterred. He could taste his own blood in his mouth, his ribs felt a stab of pain with every breath, but he would not stop. He didn’t know how long he fought that thing. It could’ve been hours, or mere minutes, he wasn’t sure. But finally the monster fell and did not get up again. His eyes narrowed at it for a moment, his ears twitching as he listened for any indication that it was still alive. When he was satisfied that it was dead, he gave a snort and trotted across the room to Jennifer.

Cassandra used every ounce of her strength and weight to pin Varric down and reached out to grab the chain around his neck. “This better work,” she growled through her teeth as she yanked it, falling back on her rear with the effort as the chain snapped. Her eyes widened in surprise at how hard it was to break a simple chain. She tossed it away the next moment and stared hard at the dwarf, prepared to fight back if he attacked her again. “Varric?”

Varric groaned as he fell back hard against the floor, his head smacking against it waking him up more than anything. He breathed hard as he closed his eyes, swallowing. He remembered Erimond stepping towards him, slipping the amulet on around his neck and then...nothing. His mind went blank and he immediately reached up, trying to feel for that accursed thing, but thankfully, it was gone. He heard his name and he turned his head to the side, relief coursing through him. “Seeker,” he gasped, “You are a sight for sore eyes.” He breathed out as he let his head fall back, feeling exhausted. 

Cullen looked over Lindsey, holding his hands up as he didn’t want to startle her. “Shhh, it’s okay. It’s over now. Maker’s breath,” he cursed, “The hell did those monsters do to you and Varric?” He could see the fear in her eyes, the way she flinched. He knew that memory trigger and he just held his arms out to her.

Lindsey flung herself at him, hugging him as much as the armor they wore would allow. “Thank the gods,” she breathed, closing her eyes against the happy tears that threatened to fall. “What happened? Erimond was here, he put those amulets on us, and I don’t remember anything after that.”

“Varric,” Cassandra gasped and quickly crawled across the floor to him, pressing a kiss to his lips as he laid on the floor. Relief to hear his voice flooded her chest and she kissed him over and over before she pulled back and slammed her fist on the chestpiece of the armor he wore. “You ass! You tried to kill us!” She shook her head and kissed him again, her emotions too confusing for even her to understand in that moment.

The huge wolf tipped his head as he watched them for a moment before he turned to Jennifer, seeing she was unharmed. He nuzzled into her carefully, relief and excitement blooming in his chest when she didn’t pull away, didn’t flinch. His tail thumped loudly on the floor as he rubbed his face against her.

Jennifer laughed as Solas nuzzled her, giggling as his wet nose tickled her. She reached out, running her hands over the soft, thick fur as she looked over his face, moving to scratch at an ear. “Oh wow, look at you. I knew you could do it,” she said as she leaned in to throw her arms around him and she saw his tail just going for it, creating a loud thump noise that was starting to draw attention from the others. She couldn’t resist and she pulled back to scratch at his chin, “You saved me, you are so wonderful. Who’s a good boy? Who’s a good boy? That’s right! You are!”

Solas jerked back with a snort, wishing he could speak in this form. But the best he could do was to give her a look that clearly said, “Really?” But he was in too good of a mood to be angry with her. Being in his wolf form again felt amazing. He could stay like this for hours. He felt the eyes of the others in the room on him and he turned slowly, trying not to startle them.

“Maker’s breath,” Cassandra muttered, her eyes fixed on the wolf as she slowly stood up, pulling Varric to stand with her. She’d never seen a wolf so huge before. And she wasn’t certain what to think of him. Was he still himself? Or did the wolf take over when he transformed, making him dangerous? She swallowed hard, prepared to fight him if need be. “Solas?” she asked cautiously, but breathed a sigh of relief when he bowed his head to her. “You didn’t tell me he could turn into a wolf!” she cried, rounding on Varric.

Varric shrugged his shoulders. “I didn’t know he could turn into a wolf. That part was left out,” he said as he looked at Jennifer and raised an eyebrow at her before he looked back at Solas. “It’s a nice look, Chuckles,” he said as he slipped his arm around Cassandra’s waist, leaning against her as he felt the exhaustion from the past few days starting to creep up on him again. 

Cullen watched the wolf, holding Lindsey tightly to him. He wasn’t entirely sure what was going on. “That’s incredible. I had no idea you were a shapeshifter,” he said as he looked over the form. He looked to be in complete control of himself, but he would have expected nothing less from Solas. He was a clever mage. “I’ve only seen Morrigan use this type of magic before and it was briefly. Fascinating,” he muttered as he leaned his head against Lindsey’s, “But now is hardly the time to be standing here gawking. We need to move out before reinforcements arrive. I was hoping to catch that bastard Erimond.” 

“He left,” Lindsey answered, leaning back against Cullen for a moment. “They saw all of you coming and he ran like the coward he is.” She looked Cullen over quickly. He looked tired, but otherwise unhurt. “Let’s get the hell out of here. I never want to see this place again.” She felt dirty and sore, her back still didn’t feel right at all. And she hated herself, knowing that she and Varric had attacked their loved ones, even if they hadn’t been in control of themselves at the time. 

Solas felt a relief in his chest when the others didn’t react negatively to him. His tail wagged again before he remembered Jennifer’s teasing and he forced himself to stop. Silly tic that he couldn’t seem to help at times when he was in this form. He stood again, not ready yet to change back to his normal form, and gave a jerk of his head towards the door. If they ran into any more trouble, he wanted to stay like this to protect the others. 

Varric nodded in agreement. “Yeah, if I never see this place again, it’ll be too soon,” he muttered and looked down at the armor he had been shoved into. It made his skin crawl and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to be in it or the tattered rags he wore underneath. He definitely wanted a bath. He looked at Cassandra as they followed Solas out of the fortress. “Cass, you know I would never. Shit.” He ran a hand through his tangled hair, pushing it out of his eyes, “I would never hurt you like that. Whatever it was, that fucking amulet...” He trailed off and shook his head. 

The corner of her mouth twitched in a sympathetic smile. “I know,” she said softly and reached out to place a hand on the back of his neck. It felt good to have him at her side again, to be able to touch him. There were so many things she wanted to say, but she would rather save them for private. She swallowed. “I am just glad you are alright now,” she said quietly and gently ran her fingers through his tangled hair. “We will be home before you know it and we can put all of this behind us.”

He closed his eyes for a moment as he leaned into her touch as they walked, thinking over everything that had happened. “I can only hope that it’ll be that simple. It’s not going to be behind me until that bastard who did this to us is lying dead on the ground. Preferably in as many pieces as the Inquisitor can manage.” He looked at Lindsey and he shivered as he walked. His back felt horrible and he was sore all over as if his body still thought it had the injuries he had sustained. 

Lindsey caught Varric’s eye, but quickly looked away again as they walked. She wondered if he felt as uncomfortable as she did. He had to. The heavy armor on her back was awful, but she didn’t dare take it off. Not in front of anyone. They’d see the tattered shirt she wore beneath it and she wasn’t sure if she was ready to face that yet or not. 

They were lucky on their way out of the fortress. Only a few guards remained, which Solas quickly and happily took out. It appeared as if the rest had fled with Erimond. 

“Coward,” Lindsey hissed as they made it outside to where the horses were tied. The sun felt good on her face, the warm breeze on her skin. She waited for Cullen to mount his horse before she climbed up behind him, almost worried that this was a dream and she was going to wake up to find herself still locked in that horrible cell. She slid her arms around his waist, glad for the gloves that covered her hands so he couldn’t see her thumb. “Let’s go home.”


	26. Chapter 26

Solas was panting by the time they reached the camp again. All the heat and his heavy fur coat were not a good combination. But it felt good to run in this form again, to protect the others as they rode back towards their home. They would not make it by nightfall and decided to stay the night at the camp they’d taken from the agents the night before. He turned his head to watch Jennifer as she dismounted the horse and a sort of grin spread across his face as he sat down and let himself change back into his normal shape. He gave her a tired grin and stretched out his hand for her, pulling her into his lap, and pressed a firm kiss to her temple. “Your sister is safe now,” he murmured in her ear. 

Jennifer smiled at him tiredly and hugged him back tightly as she leaned into his embrace. “Thank you so much,” she said as she looked over at her sister as Cullen helped her down from the horse, “I hope she and Varric will be alright.” Worry was thick in her voice as she studied them both. There was pain in the way they moved and perhaps a hint of distrust in their eyes. “Erimond has to pay for what he’s done.”

Solas nodded, nuzzling into her hair. “He will, vhenan,” he promised. He paused and mentally slapped himself. Would they now stay at Skyhold until Erimond was dealt with? It would only prolong his departure even more. He slightly shook his head at himself. He could worry about that later. His eyes flew wide the next second and a surprised gasp escaped him as a sudden weight slammed into him and Jennifer.

“I should kick you both!” Lindsey cried as she hugged them. “You shouldn’t have risked your life to save me,” she scolded Jennifer before she glared at Solas, “And you shouldn’t have let her come!” She squeezed her sister’s neck tightly. “I love you,” she murmured, hiding her face.

Jennifer wrapped her arms tightly around Lindsey, laughing as tears gathered in her eyes. “I love you more! You should know that no one stops me when it comes to you. I’d do it again, but don’t go and get yourself kidnapped again, ever,” she breathed against her before she pulled back and cupped her face. “You know what Gramma would say. That bastard is going to get what’s coming to him. You know it’s true,” she said. 

Lindsey nodded and squeezed her sister tighter before she pulled back with a watery laugh. “Gramma would make him pay,” she agreed. She pushed away and got to her feet. “I’mma go get out of all this junk,” she said, thumbing over her shoulder at the tent behind her. The armor was hot and far too heavy. She looked over at Cullen and shook her head. “I don’t know how you stand to walk around in this shit all day long,” she managed to tease, trying to make light of it all.

Cullen smiled at her as he followed her to the tent. “Would you like some assistance?” he asked as he pulled back the tent flap for her, looking over his shoulder as Varric sat down at the fire near Cassandra, working the gloves off of his hands. He looked back at her and gave her a light smile. “I think we might be able to find you something much more appropriate to wear.”

She gave a slight nod and ducked into the tent. “You… you don’t have to,” she said quietly, worried about what he would think if he saw her back. She turned her back to him and worked the gloves off her hands, wincing at the stiffness in her thumb. She could move it, but not bend it. “Shit,” she hissed, looking down at it. The scars were jagged from where her skin had busted open and been crudely healed. “I…” She started, then stopped, not knowing what to tell him. She swallowed hard and bowed her head, running a hand through her dirty and tangled hair. “Shit.”

Cullen’s eyes flickered to her hand and he winced when he saw the scar there and he carefully reached out to cup her hand in his as he looked it over. He soothed his thumb over hers a moment before he leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to it. He looked up at her, meeting her eyes and finding a pain that echoed something he had experienced once, tortured and held against his will, trying to break the mind. “Whatever he has done to you, you will always be beautiful to me,” he said quietly, reaching up to cup her face, “I swear it.” 

A quiet, dry sob escaped her as she leaned into his touch. “He tried…” She swallowed and sniffed, looking down at her hand in his. “He tried to make us talk. To tell him what we knew of the future. And we didn’t. We didn’t tell him anything,” she said quickly, looking up to meet his eyes. “I wanted to. I want to give in, but Varric… He kept me strong. And I didn’t tell them anything.” She leaned into him, tucking her head under his chin. “I knew you’d come for me,” she whispered.

He brushed the tears away as they slipped down her cheeks and he pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “As if I could have been stopped. When we learned you and Varric had been taken, the four of us were a force to be reckoned with. It was horrifying, being away from you, hearing about what you were going through and us not able to be there to stop it from happening. I am so sorry that it took us as long as we did to reach you. Thank the Maker that you both had each other. I know when I was tortured, I went mad. I didn’t know if I could ever be right again after that.” 

“I’m so sorry that happened to you, too,” she said softly. “If it hadn’t been for Varric, I would’ve lost it. Or given in. I don’t know if I could have held out if it hadn’t been for him.” She stared down at her thumb before dropping her hands. She didn’t want to look at it anymore. “They sent healers just before they put those amulets on us. I guess he wanted us strong enough to fight you. The healers, they… they didn’t do a very good job,” she said, feeling insecure. “Just so you know.” She twisted slightly to fumble with a buckle on the armor. She didn’t want to wear it anymore.

Cullen swallowed and nodded, moving with careful hands to undo the armor she wore. He could only imagine what it was that had happened to her. Perhaps a brand or something similar. He couldn’t believe the anger that swept over him at the thought and he vowed he would find Erimond and make him pay for what he had done. “You should know that I won’t judge you. Only the ones who did this to you,” he said as he helped her lift the armor from her body and he froze at the sight of the tattered tunic, stained with blood. “Maker,” he breathed and reached with a shaky hand to lift that off of her as well. “Oh, Lindsey,” he said as he let his hand skim over the scars on her back, “Please, please forgive me.”

She shivered as she felt his fingers brush over the scars. They were strangely numb and it didn’t feel right. It broke her heart to hear the way his voice slightly shook. “Forgive you?” she asked, not understanding. She looked over her shoulder at him, seeing the way he stared at her back. “Cullen, this isn’t your fault. You didn’t do this. And if you hadn’t come when you did, it would’ve been worse. Don’t. Don’t blame yourself for this.” She turned to face him, not wanting him to have to look at it anymore. “You saved me.”

Cullen looked at her with a new admiration and he gently pulled her into his arms, looking down into her eyes as he leaned his forehead against hers. “You are remarkable, Lindsey. So much stronger than I,” he breathed as he cupped her face with his hands, brushing his fingers over her skin carefully, “Don’t be worried about the scars. I think Dorian or someone can come up with a way to make them less apparent.” He tried to manage a smile for her. “You know those fancy peacocks in Val Royeaux have something.”

A small giggle escaped her at that. “Yeah,” she whispered, nodding and leaning into him. “The peacocks might end up being useful after all.” She swallowed and shook her head slowly. “I don’t feel like I’m strong. Definitely not as strong as you. I’m sure what you went through was worse.” She met his eyes again, her own full of uncertainty. “Are you sure they don’t bother you? I saw what they left on Varric, I know how bad they look. If… if you… I mean, I’d understand…” She trailed off, a knot forming in her throat.

He leaned back and tipped her chin up as he studied her eyes. “Do you really think me that shallow?” he asked quietly, before he gave her a smile. “I know it’s a bit soon after your ordeal, but I’d like to show you just how much they don’t bother me,” he said as he kissed her forehead, an idea forming in his head, “I have a healing poultice in my pack. Would you enjoy a massage, my darling?”

The knot in her throat only seemed to grow bigger and tears formed in the corners of her eyes. She nodded. “I don’t think you’re shallow. I didn’t mean it that way,” she said softly. “But at this point, I’ll take anything that includes the word ‘healing.’ Just… they feel funny. Sort of numb. So if I jump or something, you know, it’s not you,” she said, uncertain of what to expect. “But please, I’d love that.” She moved to wrap her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. “I don’t deserve you.”

He hugged her back just as tightly, leaning down to catch her lips in a fierce kiss before he pulled back and gave her a smile. “Just be thankful you don’t have a scar on your lip,” he said as he reached up to touch his own, but gave her a wink and turned to pull his bag over and pulled out the poultice before he looked back to her. “Lay down on the bedroll, on your stomach. I’ll do my best, but it’s been awhile since I’ve given one of these. I’ll apologize for my rustiness now,” he said as he uncorked the healing salve and poured a healthy measure into his hands before he rubbed his palms together before spreading them out over her back.  

She gave a soft moan at the feel of his warm hands on her back. The scars tingled and still felt a bit off, but something about that poultice seeped deep into her skin, making it tolerable. “Would you stop calling yourself rusty? I don’t believe it for a minute. You said that the first time we slept together and it was a complete lie,” she said, turning her face to the side so she could look over her shoulder at him. “And I like the scar on your lip. It’s sexy.” She gave him a wink before another soft moan slipped from her throat and her eyes fell closed.

He chuckled and continued to work his fingers into her back, relearning her and he vowed to himself he would help her figure out a way to lessen the scars if they truly bothered her. He leaned over her, murmuring into her ear, “Well, if scars are sexy, you have no idea what you are doing to me right now. Very indecent thoughts.” He pulled back, feeling a blush on his face. “Maker, listen to me. You see what you do to me? You are a horrible influence.”

“Wonderful. You mean I’m a wonderful influence,” she corrected him playfully. Gods, could he really still be attracted to her even with those horrible scars all over her back? She felt her heart warm for him all over again and a smile spread across her lips. She cracked her eye to peer up at him, seeing the blush on his face that she loved so much. “You must really love me,” she said softly.

He stilled for a moment, the warmth filling in around his heart as he heard her quiet voice and he thought it over. Since he met her, since she started taking care of him in ways he was sure no one would ever care for him again. He remembered how he had felt when they had learned of her kidnapping, how the horrible wave of terror washed over him at the thought that she might be taken from him before he could even truly experience life with her. “Yes. I do,” he said quietly, looking down at her, trying to see her face. He rubbed affectionately at her shoulder. “I love you.”

Lindsey smiled at him and turned onto her back, managing not to cringe at the feeling. “And I love you. So much,” she whispered back fiercely, reaching up to touch his face, her thumb tracing over the scar on his lip. She sat up to meet his lips, slipping her tongue into his mouth. Her arm slid around his shoulders, holding herself to him as she poured every ounce of passion and love she could muster into that kiss. It didn’t matter to her how long or how short their relationship might’ve been, she felt the way she felt and she wasn’t going to make apologies for that. She finally pulled back, her lips throbbing and swollen, resting her forehead against his for a moment. “Make me forget,” she whispered, locking her eyes on his golden brown ones. “Make me forget all about that place, Cullen.”

He smiled at her warmly, kissing at her nose before he pulled back slightly so he could work off the armor he wore. “I can do that,” he said softly before he tossed aside the chestpiece and moved to undo his trousers. He reached for her, stripping away the dirty pants she wore and tossed them away before he rolled over her, bracing himself above her. He leaned down and captured her lips again, kissing her like he had wanted to when he found her. He cupped her cheek, and sighed softly against her as he gently pressed against her, “Thank the Maker we found you. I would have gone mad if I had lost you.”

She turned her face to kiss his palm. “And I would’ve lost my mind if you hadn’t found me,” she answered as she leaned up to kiss and gently suck at the side of his neck. She smiled against his skin as she felt him shiver and his length harden against her. “Cullen,” she breathed heavily into his ear as she pushed against his shoulder, moving him to lay on his back so she could crawl on top of him. She kissed at his throat, his chest, reaching her hand down to grasp him and stroke him for a moment before she steadied him and sank down on his thick length. “Oh gods,” she gasped, biting her lip before she met his eyes. “I missed you.”

Cullen lifted his head back as she sank down on him and he let out a sigh as she settled over him. “Oh Maker, Lindsey. You feel amazing,” he breathed as he reached up and slid his hands up her arms, lifting her hand to his lips so he could kiss at her fingers, as he met her eyes, smiling warmly before he moaned out in pleasure as she squeezed around him tightly. “I missed you as well. I don’t think, mmmm, I’ll have you leave my side again,” he said as he reached up to pull her down for another kiss.

“Never again,” she breathed as she began to ride him, rocking her hips at a steady pace as she laid over him. She pressed sweet kisses to the side of his neck, moaning as she took his cock deep into her body over and over again. “Oh gods,” she gasped, squeezing around him, panting as she quickened her pace. She was so close already, it amazed her how he could do that to her. Her face screwed up as she nuzzled into his neck. “I’m gonna come,” she breathed. “Come with me.”

He wrapped his arms around her, one hand moving up to tangle in her hair while he thrust up into her the best he could from his position beneath her. He turned his head to the side, pressing his lips to her ear, feeling his length swelling inside of her as he tettered on the edge of bliss. “Always,” he moaned to her and he couldn’t stop the cry that escaped his lips as he came and his hands scrambled against her, moving to hold her hips down tightly around him as he thrust up into her, her body convulsing around him as he spent himself, “My love.”

Her body spasmed around him as he flooded her with his cum and a strained cry issued from her throat. She writhed in his grasp, his strong hands holding her in place until they both breathed out a sigh of relief and she collapsed over his chest. A silly, happy feeling filled her heart at his words. “My love,” she repeated back to him, a smile on her lips as she nuzzled under his chin. She kissed at his collarbone, just enjoying the feel of his skin against hers, their bodies still joined together. “You’ll never lose me again.”


	27. Chapter 27

Cassandra looked up from examining Varric’s finger, her nose wrinkling at the noises coming from the tent. “Ugh,” she groaned. “They could at least attempt to be quiet.” She shook her head and looked down at Varric’s hand again, turning it over to look at it. His previously broken finger seemed to have been healed fairly well. “We will get the healers to check it over better when we get back to Skyhold,” she said and looked up to meet his eyes. “You are lucky that is all they did to you.” She hesitated and frowned at the look in his eyes. “That  _ is  _ all they did, isn’t it?”

Varric sighed and gave her own hand a squeeze with his own before he turned to the fire, watching the flames. He remembered the flogging, his hands stretched over his head, unable to move, unable to make it stop. “Made me long for one of your interrogations, Seeker,” he said quietly, his back aching under the armor. He wasn’t the type of guy to be concerned about scars, but a scar was fine. It was one thing. He could suffer through the one on his nose well enough. The hand. The mess on his back however, was a different story and he shifted where he sat, pressing his lips together. “Wouldn’t have been much torture if all they had done was break my hand.”

A mixture of horror, anger, and concern washed through her all at once. “What did they do?” she asked, looking him over, but she couldn’t see much of him because of the armor. She cast a glance at Solas and Jennifer, sitting on the other side of the fire, but they were in their own little world. “Did they heal it?” she asked. She didn’t like the look in his eyes, the almost haunted tone in his voice. “Whatever they did, I will hunt them down and make every single one of them pay for it. Varric, tell me!”

He turned back to her then, the hint of a smile on his lips and he remembered then what he had told Lindsey in the dank dungeon. “I love you. You know? When we were down there, we said all these things we were going to do when you all showed up and got us out of there. One of the things I couldn’t stop thinking about was that I had to tell you that. You make me want to do better at everything. To be that honest man you need at your back, but who can still bullshit with the best of them. Shit, I don’t deserve you, but I want to be selfish. So, I love you,” he said as he reached out, brushing his thumb over her high cheekbone. He could see the determination in her eyes and he loved it about her.

Cassandra felt her breath stolen away. She hadn’t been expecting that at all, but she couldn’t keep the smile off her lips. Her heart skipped a beat, a fluttery feeling filled her stomach. She searched his eyes, her own lighting up. “Varric, you mean that?” she breathed, her smile widening when he nodded. She leaned forward and crushed her lips to his, her mind dizzy as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Perhaps the situation wasn’t ideal, but damn it if he wasn’t romantic. She rolled the idea around in her head for only a moment as she kissed him passionately. She knew she couldn’t see her life without him in it now. “I love you too,” she murmured against his lips and kissed him again.

He sighed against her as she kissed his breath away and he couldn’t stop the smile that pulled at his own lips, hearing it back from her. He believed her. Maker help him, he believed her. She was the type of woman who was honest and bluntly so about it. It was refreshing to have after being led around for so many years. He threaded his fingers through her hair, drinking her down as they slowly ended the kiss and he pulled back slightly to study her. 

She nearly shivered, wondering where this would lead them, what they had just done by speaking these words aloud. It made her heart race and flutter all at the same time. She gave him a smile, but it faded the next second as she realized he’d completely avoided her question. “Now tell me what happened,” she demanded, pulling back from his touch and crossing her arms over her chest. “I believe what you said, but you are not going to distract me that easily. I have figured you out, dwarf.”

“Shit,” he muttered and moved to fumble with the clasps on the strange armor over him, “I knew it. You’re spending too much time around me, learning all of my tricks. I remember a time when you would have fallen for that. Maybe I should try waving a new copy of Swords and Shields in your face?” He paused and looked at her, but sighed when she met the look undeterred. “Fine fine,” he said, quieter and pulled the armor off of him. He hadn’t put the damn shirt back on, he didn’t see the point. So he turned his back to Cassandra and lowered his head to look at the sand in front of him. He poked at the ground, drawing a nonsensical shape in it. “So, yeah. They healed it. I want my money back though.”

She gasped and clapped her hands over her mouth as her eyes went wide, staring at the crisscross of scars on his back. Heartache and fury swelled in her chest as she reached out, but drew her hand back before she touched them. “Oh Varric,” she said, her voice cracking slightly. Her hands clenched into fists and she lowered her head, feeling guilty. “We should have gotten here sooner. I should have stopped them before they did this. If only we’d traveled faster…” She grit her teeth, her anger at Erimond growing by the moment. “I’ll murder that bastard,” she swore. “There won’t be anything left of him by the time I get through with him. I swear it.” She reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Varric, I am so sorry.”

He definitely didn’t jump when she put her hand on his shoulder. He turned his head, to look over it at her while he placed his hand on top of hers. “Don’t be. You didn’t do this. If you hadn’t shown up when you did, we would have been put through another day of this shit, then we might really be fucked up. Just make sure whenever you do get the slimy bastard, it’s nice and slow,” he said as he gave her hand a squeeze. “He likes to take his time,” he said bitterly, remembering how Erimond had taken a damn tea break after hitting them, letting their shirts partially dry to their backs before he started in again. He turned to face Cassandra and tilted his head at her. “Don’t worry about the scars. It’s mostly numb now. A small, maybe moderate amount of soreness, but that’s expected.”

She shook her head, tears in her eyes, and leaned forward to kiss his shoulder. “As soon as we get back to Skyhold, I will personally speak to the Inquisitor about hunting down this Erimond. He will not get away with what he did to you.” She rested her mouth against his shoulder for a moment, breathing deep through her nose as she tried to calm her temper. It didn’t work. “I am going to kill him,” she growled. “And everyone working for him. I don’t care who they are, they are all going to die. If we’d arrived sooner, I could have caught him. I…” She shook her head and growled again. She wanted to fix this, to somehow undo it and there was nothing she could do. She didn’t know if the healers could do anything to fix it and she didn’t want to give him false hope by suggesting it. “This doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t change you and it doesn’t change how I feel about you.”

“Good to know,” Varric said as he turned his head to look at her, her eyes looked as though they were on fire as they glittered in the firelight. “To be honest, the slimy bastard doesn’t deserve much of my thoughts at the moment. I want a bath, some good food, a lot of ale and a bed with you in it when we get back to Skyhold. Then maybe after a day or two we can focus on finding him. The sister’s say he’s going to show up in a plot with the Wardens soon. You’ll get your chance, I’m sure.”

Cassandra nodded and looked over at Jennifer. By the look in their eyes, Cassandra was sure that Jennifer and Solas had seen Varric’s back as well. She swallowed and stood up. “I’ll get some water for you to clean up with, and some fresh clothes to change into” she said to Varric before she looked over at Jennifer again. “Do you think you could fix us something to eat, please? I doubt Erimond fed them well while they were held there.” 

Varric chuckled and reached up, catching Cassandra’s hand as she started to walk away. “C’mere a moment, Seeker. I haven’t kissed you in the last minute,” he said as he tugged her down and pressed his lips to hers for a quick moment before he smiled as he pulled back, studying her for a moment. “Thanks,” he said quietly, hoping she knew it was for more than just the kiss.

She knew. She gave him a nod before she busied herself with finding some clean water for him.

Solas pressed a kiss to Jennifer’s cheek before she got up to start preparing them a meal. He moved to lean on one elbow beside the fire, his long legs stretched out as he lounged comfortably, trying to choose the right words. “There is a remarkable strength in you, Master Tethras,” he commented, not looking at the dwarf. “Most could not have endured what you did. Not without telling Erimond precisely what he wanted. Or they would have had their minds broken in the process. But not you. And here you sit, perhaps not unchanged, but not damaged either.” He paused as a small smile crossed his lips. “I am once again surprised by the people of this world.”

“Stick around, Chuckles, maybe we’ll surprise you even more. I don’t think I could have stayed as sane as I did if it wasn’t for Freckles though,” he said as he moved to lean back against the log behind his back. “Thanks for what you did back there. I don’t think we would have made it out alive if you didn’t do that trick. No one is going to believe me,” he said as he watched Jennifer move around the fire with practiced ease, “Though, I didn’t know you’d be an actual wolf.” He waved his hand in the air. “This will make a great new tale. This Shit is Weird, the other world story. Eh. Working title,” he muttered as he shifted, not liking the way the log rubbed his back.

Solas fixed Varric with an unimpressed stare. “Surely you jest,” he deadpanned, though a sinking feeling filled his stomach. He paused to watch Jennifer for a moment, a smile pulling at his lips, but it faded as he looked back at Varric. “Tell the tale if you must, but I would appreciate being left out of it. I wouldn’t have transformed if I’d had another option.” He shifted his shoulders and cleared his throat. “It is good that the two of you had each other to draw strength from.”

Varric inclined his head. “I think I drew more strength from her. The sisters have more strength than us in some aspects,” he said, giving Jennifer a wink before he leaned forward, “And shit, Chuckles, I know I didn’t make any sort of promise to you or whatever it was you and they did, but you don’t have to worry about me. Your secret is safe so long as you are on our side. Whatever goals you have, you know you have friends now, loved ones who can help you out.”

Solas looked down at the ground, feigning interest in a rock he picked up between his long fingers. Friendship. Love. Those were things he’d thought he’d never have again. A muscle worked in his jaw as he thought about it. Were the members of the inner circle really his friends? It was still hard to trust anyone, save for Jennifer. She made it easy to trust, to love, to feel things he told himself he would never have. “True,” he said, not entirely convinced that he agreed, but not wanting to stir up an argument. He looked up again. “And I thank you for your discretion.” 

He could see that Solas didn’t entirely believe him, but he decided to let it drop. Changes were coming, that much was apparent. Maybe there would even be something with Solas and a day would come when he didn’t feel like he had to hide in plain sight. But he wasn’t stupid. Telling anyone else of what he had done and the world would demand his blood. “No problem. You ever need to talk, you know where to find me. Just give me a few days to sort this crap out once we get back to Skyhold.” 

Jennifer smiled at the conversation and looked over at Solas as she stirred the pot over the fire. The Venatori’s camp had some spicy dried sausages that she had rehydrated in a stew with some potatoes. It was the best she could do on short notice. She stood up and fetched a bowl, pouring it into a bowl before she passed it to Varric. She poured a few more and went back to Solas, handing him the meal. “I’d poke my head in the tent to let Lindsey and Cullen know there’s food, but I don’t think they care at the moment. That and I’m fairly sure Cullen would die of blushing.” She waved at Cassandra as she came back with a pot of water for Varric. 

“Do it,” Cassandra said as she set the heavy pot next to the fire to warm up. “It would serve him right.” She looked over her shoulder at the tent and wrinkled her nose again. She reached out and took the bowl Jennifer offered her as she sat herself next to Varric. It smelled amazing, as all of Jennifer’s cooking always did, and she settled back against the log to enjoy her meal. “Eat,” she said to Varric. “And then I am scrubbing you down before we go to sleep.”

Varric couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped out of him as he spooned up some of the soup and the grin on his face wouldn’t go away. “Yes, Seeker. I would hate for you to sleep next to a dirty dwarf. I actually don’t think I could sleep with all this grime on me any way. The hair, at the very least. Gotta fix the hair,” he said as he sighed. The hot meal was heaven after having nothing but cheese and bread. 

Jennifer snickered into her own bowl. “Oh Cassandra, I think you’re just upset with Cullen and Lindsey because they beat you and Varric to it,” she said, ducking her head at the look that the Seeker shot her and she scooted closer to Solas, as if he could protect her from the intense glare.

Solas chuckled. “Vhenan, I do not think even I could protect you from the Seeker,” he said, though he let her lean into his side. He loved that, the closeness with her, and he thought he could sit out there all night with her by his side, just enjoying the little campfire with her. In fact, that was where they would probably spend most of their night, if Cassandra and Varric claimed the other tent for themselves. Which he wouldn’t blame them for in the slightest.

“You better hide,” Cassandra said in a dangerous tone, though her face blushed slightly. She cleared her throat and looked pointedly down at the bowl in her hands. Jealous of Cullen and Lindsey? No. But she was thinking along those lines, if she could get away with Varric on her own for a bit. Though she silently swore to herself to be quieter than the other two. Would they not stop? She glared over her shoulder as she heard a rather loud, inappropriate noise from Cullen. “Where’s Bull when you need him? He’d make enough commentary on this to shut them up.”

Varric and the others laughed at that and he wiped at his eyes as he finished his bowl, setting it aside. “Oh no. If Tiny were here, he and Sparkler might make it into a competition to see who could outdo who. No one would be getting any sleep,” he figured, looking over across the way to see Jennifer smiling into her bowl of food and Solas with an amused grin on his face. He looked over at Cassandra, “Enough about that though, I’m fairly sure after I settle in for the night, I’m going to sleep like a log. Now, didn’t you say something about scrubbing me down?”

“Ugh,” Cassandra groaned as Jennifer and Solas snickered again. “I didn’t mean that literally.” She rolled her eyes and carefully grabbed up the pot by its handle as she stood. She could feel her face burning and for a moment she thought to throw the pot of water at them for goading her. “Come on,” she muttered and headed for the unoccupied tent. She busied herself with pulling out cloths and soap from a trunk there that she’d seen the night before. She sat back on her heels as Varric tied the tent shut behind him and a frown pulled at her lips to see his back again. “Here,” she said, gesturing for him to sit in front of her as she pulled out a comb from the trunk.

He turned to see what she was gesturing at before he nodded and hesitated a moment later. “Cassandra, if you’d rather… I mean, shit. I know this isn’t the best thing to look at. I didn’t mean to make you feel like you had to do this. I can, despite popular belief, take care of myself.” Though, truth be told, he wanted to be a little more selfish and just enjoy this time with her, to have hands on him that didn’t mean to hurt or inflict any more pain. He moved and sat down in front of her, his back to her. “Ah screw it, I want the bath.”

She gave a slight laugh and began to gently work the comb through his hair. “I know you can take care of yourself,” she said. “But I want to.” She tried not to stare at the marks on his back as she worked the tangles from his hair, but it was hard not to. Oh, she would make Erimond pay for this. How a person could inflict such torment on another, she did not understand. When his hair was combed, she grabbed up a clean cloth and dunked it in the pot of warm water, then rubbed it with the bar of soap. “Let me know if it’s too uncomfortable,” she said as she began to carefully run the cloth over his back.

He couldn’t stop the slight hiss that escaped his teeth as the hot cloth met his back, but he shook his head when she paused. “Keep going, it feels good,” he said quietly. Maker, did it ever. Her hands were gentle and the heat seemed to seep into his abused flesh, chasing away the pain that had settled in. He was surprised that having his hair combed would have him feeling better too, but there it was. He sighed out as she dipped the cloth back into the water, the scent of the soap filling the air. “Would figure that they would bring stuff to pamper themselves out in the middle of a Maker damned desert.”

“Dorian would be impressed,” she agreed with a slight laugh. She ran the cloth over his shoulders, the back of his neck, down his sides. Not that she was going to make a habit of this, but she rather liked taking care of him. She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the clean skin where his neck met his shoulder, sliding her arms around him to wash his chest. She could feel him relaxing and it brought a smile to her face. “At least it lets me pamper you,” she said softly. “Well, as much as anyone could be pampered out here.”

He chuckled softly at that as he leaned back into her touch as she wrapped her arms around him, sliding her hands over his front. He let a smile tug at his lips as he turned his head into her neck. “Careful, don’t let Sparkler hear that. He’d demand that you peel grapes to truly pamper me. And then he would demand some for him as well.” He let his eyes closed, trusting the Seeker to not put a dagger in his back as he did. She smelled wonderful and her presence was comforting in a way he hadn’t known it would be.

“Peeling grapes? Ugh, that sounds so tedious,” she said, pausing for a moment to dip the cloth in the water again. She liked this, the easy conversation, the closeness with him. “I’m not certain I love you  that  much,” she teased. She kissed his shoulder again before she pulled back. “Get the rest of those rags off you. They belong in the fire.”

“Best thing I’ve heard all night,” he muttered as he shifted on the ground, tearing off the sad excuse for clothing and chucked it away. He looked over his shoulder at Cassandra as he sat there, watching her think. “So, how would you like me spread out for the rest of the bath?” he asked, trying to keep it light, casual. He wanted her, but the damned survival hormones he was going to blame on this one.

She thought about it for a moment, trying to figure out what he would be comfortable with. “Can you lie on your back? If it is uncomfortable, I understand,” she said, then paused, working her lip between her teeth. No, lying on his back wouldn’t work. “Stand up,” she finally said. She rolled her eyes at the questioning look he gave her and she grabbed his hand to turn him to face her before she ran the cloth over his abs, down the line of his hip, the edge of her hand brushing against his length as she washed his body.

Varric couldn’t stop the shudder that went through him at her touch. The hot water, the gentle touch that was firm and every bit as much of Cassandra as anything else she committed to. He sighed out at the teasing touches that weren’t meant to be teasing and he felt his length twitch at the sensation, slowly filling and he let out a low chuckle. “Mm, sorry about that. You just… you have no idea how good this feels right now,” he said, as he let his eyes fall close.

A smirk touched her lips as his length began to harden. “I’m not sorry about it,” she answered. She dropped the cloth in the pot of water, looking at him for a moment before she began to remove her armor and the clothing beneath it. She wanted nothing between them, to try and mend the hurt he’d been through, if only just a little bit. She picked up the rag again and rubbed the bar of soap over it before she wrapped the warm, wet cloth around his length, slowly working it over him, watching the expression on his face.

“Shit,” he murmured and reached out to steady himself by grasping at her shoulders. “Cassandra,” he breathed out as he looked down to watch her work. It felt brilliant, hot and slick as her hand worked over him. He could feel his cock pulse beneath her attentions and he carefully shifted his weight on his feet as his knees started to turn to jelly.  It was so gentle, so loving, he thought it might bring a tear or two to his eye. “I don’t deserve you,” he said quietly as he watched her face. 

A soft smile touched her lips. “Yes you do,” she answered as she dipped the rag again, rinsing the soap from it and began to rinse away the soap on his hard length. “You deserve to be happy, Varric.” When he was clean, she set the rag aside and shifted herself closer to him, letting him lean his weight on her shoulders as his strong hands held onto her. “And I want to be the one that makes you happy,” she purred as she let her tongue brush over the tip of his length before she sealed her lips around it.

Varric nearly keened as her warm lips wrapped around him and he gasped out, his fingers digging into her shoulders as he looked down to watch. Maker, it was a beautiful sight. The teasing way that her tongue darted out to taste him, tease him before she opened her mouth to take him in. He panted hard as he leaned forward a bit more, not sure how much longer he could keep himself standing, but he’d be damned if he didn’t try. Her words were soft and they curled around his heart and warmed him in a way that everything else never could. “You do,” he gasped as her tongue flicked against him, “More than anything.”

The corners of her mouth twitched in a smile and she took more of him into her mouth, sucking at him as her tongue played over the underside of his shaft. Her eyes fell closed as she heard him gasp and a soft moan issued from her throat. The soap on his skin made him smell amazing. She swallowed as drops of precum leaked from his tip. Oh, he tasted so good. She sucked harder, moving her neck to bob on him, wanting to taste more. 

He tilted his head back as she went after him like a woman on a mission. Shit, she might as well be. She always acted with purpose and assuredness. It was one of her best qualities. He rather liked the secret passion that she hid away from the rest of the world as well and wanted to, in that moment, do nothing but romance the hell out of her once they returned to Skyhold. He gently rocked forward into her mouth and groaned softly before he opened his eyes and smiled down at her. He reached out to cup her cheek, tracing along the stretched seam of her lips where they met his length. “You are putting me to shame, Seeker. Let me, as well,” he breathed. “Lay on your side.”

She met his eyes and gave one more hard suck before she let him slip from her lips. A shiver ran down her spine as she moved to the bedroll and laid down like he’d instructed. Maker, the things she would do for this man. She felt her core throb with anticipation and she gave him a sultry look as she trailed her fingertips over her own breast, teasing her nipple. “Come here, dwarf,” she purred, a teasing smile on her lips. She moaned softly as he laid on his side next to her and she took him into her mouth again, eagerly swallowing him down to the hilt.

“Shit!” he cried out as she wasted no time at all and it took most of his willpower to not just roll over her and slowly slide over and over again into her hot mouth. He leaned forward, nuzzling into the curls between her legs before he pulled that slim leg to him, resting it on his head as he kissed at her sweet skin. His tongue flickered out to taste her and he groaned at how wonderful it was. He wrapped his arm around her leg and let himself dip into her slick core.

A muffled cry escaped her as his hot, soft tongue brushed over her sex. Oh Maker, he was so talented with that tongue. In more ways than one. Her hips shifted slightly, her body asking for more as his tongue teased her, his face scratched at the insides of her thighs. She slid her arm around him, pressing their bodies together as she ever so lightly let her teeth scrape over his hard flesh before following it with her tongue. 

Andraste’s tits, he must have died, nothing could feel this good after that ordeal. He hummed against her and slid his tongue into her slick folds, drinking down the nectar that spilled from her. He pulled back after a moment, his body aching sweetly from her gentle touches and enthusiastic methods. “Cassandra,” he cried quietly. “Please, I want you,” he pleaded as he kissed at the soft skin of her thighs before he pulled back and pushed himself up, sliding his hand up the soft curves of her body. 

Cassandra whined as he pulled his cock from her mouth. “Varric,” she protested, but let him roll her onto her back. Her core throbbed and ached, missing the hot contact of his mouth. She spread her legs wide, her hips writhing slightly on the bedroll. “Please,” she begged. “Do not tease me. I need you.” She reached for him, urging him to lay on top of her and have his way with her.

He nodded, wrapping her legs around his waist as he leaned over her, grasping himself and rubbing the head of his cock against her slick folds before he sank in with a heavy sigh. Bliss. She was absolute bliss on him and he leaned over her, angling his head so he could kiss her deeply as he rocked into her. “Cassandra,” he sighed out before he leaned his head against her shoulder as he pressed into her before withdrawing and sinking in again. “I love you,” he breathed again, because he could, because he wanted her to know and never have to wonder again. He wanted her. 

She moaned softly as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, mindful of the scars on his back. “And I love you,” she answered, just as sincerely. Maker, that felt amazing, both physically and emotionally. She never would’ve thought that she would have something like this, especially with him, but now that she did, she never wanted to let go. She lifted her hips to meet his thrusts, groaning in pleasure as he stretched her body, filled her with his thick cock over and over. “Varric!” she cried out, her hips jerking as he drove himself deep into her.

He pulled back slightly so he could look down at her as he neared his peak. She was gorgeous like this, her skin honey colored and sweat slicked that she glistened in the light of the lantern in the tent. He leaned down, catching a hard nipple between his lips suckling at her as he teased the other one before he pulled back and reached between them, thumbing at her clit. “I want this. Every day with you. For as long as you can put up with my bullshit,” he breathed against her, his breath coming out in huffs, “Shit, I’m going to come.”

She threw her head back as the pad of his thumb teased her throbbing clit, his cock driving deeper and harder into her center. His words warmed her heart, but she barely was able to hold onto them as he pleasured her. “Yes!” she cried as she spasmed around his hard length, her hips jerking up as her toes curled. “Oh Maker, VARRIC!” she screamed out as she came, holding him tighter to her.

She was a vice upon him and he cried out as he came a moment later from her body milking his and he had her gathered up in his arms as he bent his head to bury his face against her neck as he continued to rock into her throughout his orgasm. It was perfection, all of his aches and pains seemingly melting out of his body as he finally stilled, relaxing against her. “Maker, Seeker,” he panted heavily, stilling atop her as he kissed at her skin beneath his lips.

Cassandra sighed in content as he stilled, resting his weight on her. A smile crossed her lips and she turned her face to press a kiss to his forehead, running her fingers through his hair. “You’re safe now,” she murmured to him. “We’re together again and everything’s going to be alright now.” She knew that it didn’t take away from what he’d been through, the marks on his body or the pain he’d endured, but she hoped that it helped, that she could somehow make it better. “And I want every day with you as well.”

He smiled against her and after a moment, he groaned as he pulled out of her body and moved to lay next to her on the bedroll, their heads on the same pillow as he settled, tangling their legs together before he reached up and cupped her cheek. “You sure about that? I know how I am. Insufferable at times, as you are well aware,” he brushed over the curve of her lips as he met her eyes, “But yeah. I want to see how our story plays out.”

She smiled and kissed him softly, settling comfortably next to him. “It’ll be the best romance you’ve written yet.”


	28. Chapter 28

A smirk touched Solas’ lips as he and Jennifer climbed into bed. They had returned to Skyhold the day before and already plans were being made to confront Erimond. But that was far from his mind tonight. While walking the Fade the night before, he had encountered a very unique spirit. And while he had only spent a few moments with this spirit, he was eager to meet her again. 

He leaned over and kissed Jennifer sweetly. “Goodnight, vhenan,” he purred to her, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. “I will see you in your dreams tonight. I have a surprise for you.”

Jennifer smiled as she slipped her arms around his chest, turning her face into the firm muscles as she looked up at him. “Mmm, I like the sound of that,” she said against him before kissing the flesh beneath her lips, “Of course, I rather liked the surprise you got me with a little while ago too. You could surprise me with that any time.” She waggled her eyebrows at him suggestively, but it was ruined by the large yawn that split across her face. 

He laughed at that. “I’m afraid it’s not much of a surprise if you’re expecting it.” He kissed the top of her head as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Besides, I believe you will like this one better. Now go to sleep, ma lath.” 

It only took a few minutes for him to fall asleep and he smiled as he looked around the Fade, immediately going to find Jennifer in her dreams. He didn’t know how long they would have to sleep and he knew that she would want to spend as much time here as possible. “Jennifer,” he said when he found her and held out his hand. He smiled as she took it and he curled his long fingers around her palm. “Come with me. I believe your sister and the commander might enjoy this surprise as well.”

Jennifer laughed. “Oh, they would, would they?” she asked as she let him pull her to him and she wrapped her arm around his side. She was partially jealous of how slim he was while she was so curvy. She let her hand dip a little bit to rest on the swell of his ass, smiling to herself as they walked along. “Are we picking them up along the way then? Should we get a minivan to transport everyone?”

A shiver ran up his spine at the feel of her hand on his rear. “A minivan?” he asked curiously, unfamiliar with the term. He slid his arm around her shoulders as they walked, his feet instinctively leading him towards her sister’s dream. Whatever Lindsey had been dreaming of faded the instant he and Jennifer walked into the dream. “Come with us,” he said with a grin.

“Ohhh this is weird,” Lindsey said, blinking at him and her sister. She looked down at herself as if uncertain whether or not this was happening. “What’s going on?” she asked, looking over at her sister with a mischievous grin. “I would’a figured any time you two met up in here you’d be having wild, crazy Fade-sex,” she teased.

“Mmm, you know it!” Jennifer said with a wicked smile. “But he says he has something to show us tonight. A surprise. And he said that you and the dear Commander would like to see this as well. Hopefully it’s not as bad as my little gutter mind is coming up with right now,” she said as she gave Solas a grin, patting his hip. She hugged him then, unable to stop herself. She blamed the recent events and her survival mode was in full swing. “You’ll have to give me a piggyback ride sometime too.”

He chuckled and shook his head, but finally gave a nod. “Sometime when we are alone,” he agreed. The commander was a little harder to find and when they did come upon him, he seemed to be in the beginning stages of a nightmare. “Wait here,” Solas said to the sisters before he strode forward. “Commander,” he said in a clear, firm voice. The images around Cullen faded and Solas stepped closer. “It was a dream,” he said, hoping the other man didn’t find his presence intrusive. He gestured behind him to Jennifer and Lindsey. “We were hoping you could join us.”

Cullen blinked, breathing hard, but confused as the scene around him faded and the Templar armor he had been wearing faded away to a simple tunic and trousers. He ran a hand through his hair and looked around, focusing on the elf as he came back to himself. “Solas?” he asked, confused. This was odd. “I was dreaming?” he asked as he looked behind Solas and his eyes widened in surprise as he spotted Lindsey and her sister. He couldn’t stop the relieved smile that grew across his face and he walked over to her, drawing Lindsey into his arms as he sighed, “I will go anywhere as long as it is away from my dreams. They have not been kind as of late.”

Lindsey hugged Cullen tightly, wishing she could take the nightmares away from him, though her own dreams hadn’t exactly been nice lately either. “Come on,” she said, taking his hand. “Solas is being all mysterious again. He said he has a surprise for us or something.” 

The corner of Solas’ mouth twitched as he put his arm around Jennifer again. “I do,” he said with a nod. “Last night, I encountered a very special spirit. I found her in a place in the Fade that I had never visited before. Or, rather, she found me.” He chuckled at that, the memory of the spirit fresh in his mind. “She was rather adamant that I bring you all with me tonight. We should be able to find her somewhere around… ah! I believe this may be it,” he said as the area around them changed and they stood on the front walk of a tall, old Victorian house.

Jennifer’s breath caught in her throat as she suddenly saw their house, unburned, standing beautifully amidst a thriving garden. A gentle sea breeze blew past them and she inhaled deeply, feeling more at peace than she could ever remember. “Solas. This is our home. Where the others showed up,” she said and smiled widely at her sister, “I think I can smell Gramma’s chocolate cake.”

Lindsey’s eyes were wide as she stared at their home. She never thought she’d see it again, especially not whole like this. She quickly brushed a happy tear from her eye and squeezed Cullen’s hand tightly. A warm scent drifted on the soft breeze and she nodded at her sister, a grin on her face. “I think you’re right,” she said and all but dragged Cullen along behind her as she hurried forward and into the house. Everything was just as it had been before, down to the last detail. A clatter from the kitchen drew her attention and she rushed through the house, nearly tripping over her own feet when she got there.

A woman stood at the counter with her back to them, carefully chopping ingredients for the soup already started on the stove. Her long black hair, which was streaked with grey, was pulled up in a loose bun, a beaded shawl draped around her shoulders. She didn’t turn as the four of them entered the kitchen. “About time you showed up,” she said over her shoulder. “Solas, I was beginning to think you’d forgotten.” She set down her knife and wiped her hands on a towel before she turned and smiled, opening her arms to Jennifer and Lindsey.

Jennifer gave a little squeal as she ran forward with her sister into her Gramma’s arms. Tears formed in her eyes as she hugged the woman tightly. “Gramma,” she cried out as she buried her face against her. “We’ve missed you so much. I don’t think there’s a day that goes by when we don’t think about you,” she said, “The townspeople… they…” She cut off and closed her eyes.

“I know,” Gramma said softly, running her hand over Jennifer’s hair as she hugged her granddaughters tightly. “Don’t you girls worry about it. That was beyond your control. You couldn’t stop them even if you’d known what they were going to do. It’s not your fault.” She pulled back, cupping their faces in her hands. “I’ve missed you girls too.” 

Lindsey barely believed it. She had to swallow hard and still, she couldn’t speak. It had been so long since they’d seen their grandmother. She smiled and leaned into Gramma’s touch. Though she knew she was physically asleep, there wasn’t a doubt in her mind that this was real. 

“Now, let me get a look at these two,” Gramma said, looking over their shoulders at Solas and Cullen. “It took a while for me to find Solas. I’ve been trying ever since you girls came to Thedas. And then, last night when I finally managed it,  _ someone  _ decided to wake him up just after a few minutes,” she said, shooting a pointed look at Jennifer. A smirk touched her lips at the sheepish look Jennifer gave her. “Mmhmm,” she hummed, “Just as I thought.” She stepped forward and crossed her arms over her chest, looking both Solas and Cullen up and down with a critical eye.

Cullen’s eyes widened as she stepped closer to them and he wasn’t sure what to think. Was this a spirit? Was this really Lindsey’s grandmother that she had told him so much about? He straightened up as she stepped closer. “I… ah… it’s ah, very nice to meet you, Ma’am.” He felt a blush growing across his cheeks as she looked them over with a critical eye and he let his own gaze flicker to Lindsey before back to the woman.

“So polite, this one,” she commented, the hint of a smile on her lips. She knew he was a good man, of course, but she rather enjoyed watching him squirm. She held a hand to her chin as she walked around them both, looking them over. Gramma was always exceptionally good at reading people, able to feel their feelings herself if she was close enough to them. Cullen was nervous, a bit unsure of himself, while Solas was amused and confident. “This one’s trouble, though,” she said as she neared Solas. 

Solas couldn’t help but to chuckle at that. “I do seem to cause more problems than I solve,” he agreed with a nod, though he said it lightheartedly. Though their meetings had only been brief so far, he liked Jennifer’s grandmother. There was a wisdom about her that just seemed to fill the space, and though she was intimidating, there was a warmth there as well. His eyes flew wide the next second and he jumped at the sharp pinch to his backside.

Gramma threw her head back and laughed as Solas rubbed his rear, and she returned to the counter. “Sit,” she said, gesturing at the table. “Lunch will be ready in a moment.”

Jennifer couldn’t stop the giggle at Solas’ expression from her Gramma’s actions. “Ah, yeah, some things never change,” she said, laughing as Cullen moved a little too quickly to keep his backside away from Gramma as he went to pull out a chair for Lindsey before he moved to sit down quickly. She went over to Solas, hugging him tightly. “You were right. This was a great surprise,” she said before she looked over at her Gramma, “But, how did you know about Thedas?”

Gramma laughed as she resumed chopping the potatoes. “Have I been gone so long that you’ve forgotten how I work?” she asked. “I knew how much you girls loved that game. And the people there. After I passed, you can imagine my surprise to find that Thedas existed.” She turned to look at the four of them at the table, her hand on her hip. “Who do you think guided Varric and the others to your front yard when they got pulled through that rift? I knew you’d go back with them if given the chance. You belong in Thedas.”

Lindsey blinked in surprise, sharing a shocked look with her sister. “That was you?” she asked. True, what were the chances of all of that happening, their favorite characters materializing out of thin air right next to their house? But she’d thought it was all just pure dumb luck. “But… but how?” she asked, her mind reeling. Gramma’s magic had always been powerful, but this was extraordinary.

“Does it matter now?” Gramma countered and turned to pick up the potatoes and dump them into the big pot on the stove. “All that matters now is that you are where you belong. You were too special for this world. These people never appreciated our family. Not since we first came here generations ago.” She busied herself with adding spices to the pot, still speaking over her shoulder. “And don’t you fool yourself for one moment, Commander. Just because your ass is in that chair doesn’t mean it’s safe.”

Cullen looked worriedly to Lindsey and he slouched a little in his chair. He looked over at Solas, “She requested that we be here? That didn’t set off any red flags to you?” He swallowed and reached over to cover Lindsey’s hand with his own. “Still, we should thank you for them. They have been a blessing in our lives.” He looked at her, frowning, “But what happened. We should have been faster…”

Gramma frowned at that. Seeing her granddaughter abused like that had been a hard thing to watch, knowing there was nothing she could do. But she turned to Cullen, a firm expression on her face. “Don’t,” she said sternly. “That was not your fault. None of you. You all did everything you could to get there as fast as you could. And damn near lost your own lives doing it. I saw it. All of it. What matters is she and Varric are still alive and safe again. Beating yourself up won’t change it.” 

Lindsey scooted her chair a little closer to Cullen and ran her fingers through his hair, squeezing the back of his neck comfortingly. “She’s right,” she said softly. She’d been trying to tell him the same thing ever since it happened. “And yes, I’m certain this is my Gramma. No one else would be brave enough to pinch Solas’ ass,” she teased and shot the elf a wink.

Solas shook his head slowly, a heated blush on his nose and cheekbones. “I was not anticipating that,” he admitted, watching the old woman as she moved around the kitchen, the most delicious scents filling the air. He gave Jennifer an accusatory look. “You could have warned me, vhenan.”

“You think being prepared for that would have saved you? She’s already after Cullen, do you think he’s really safe?” she asked as she smiled at him, leaning over and kissing his lips. “Sorry I cut you out of a spending some quality time with her,” she said as she watched her Gramma move about, “I can’t believe this whole time, you’ve been watching over us.”

“Of course I have,” Gramma answered. “I never left you girls. Never.” She stirred the pot and gave an approving nod, then began to ladle it into bowls for them. She set a basket of breadsticks in the middle of the table and placed the bowls in front of each of them. “And if you want to warn someone about ass-pinches, warn your friend Dorian. He’s next on my list,” she said, an almost dreamy expression crossing her face before she shook her head and grabbed up a bowl for herself and sat at the table. “I plan on paying him a visit too. If that Iron Bull ever lets him get any sleep. I’d like to speak to him about making a salve that’ll fade those scars.”

Jennifer snorted into her bowl of soup and heard Cullen make a noise that sounded like a disguised laugh and she smiled up at her. “Oh boy, I’ll have to make mention of it to him,” she said as she took a bite of the soup, sighing out as she did. Oh it was heaven. “Gods, I could eat this every day and die happy.” 

Solas nodded his agreement, taking a bite of the bread that he’d dipped into the soup. He chewed for a moment and swallowed, the spices searing his throat. “I see where your granddaughters get their talent,” he complimented. He reached for Jennifer’s hand under the table and gave her fingers a squeeze. 

“Flatterer,” Gramma smirked. She sat back in her chair and watched them as they ate, an approving smile on her lips. She’d worried about her girls, wondering if they would ever find happiness. In the world they came from, it probably never would have happened. The town had been determined to see their destruction for decades. She picked up her spoon and stirred the soup, looking down at it for a moment, determined to keep her next words as casual sounding as possible. “Just so you know, I expect at least one great-grandchild named after me.”

Cullen choked on his soup and looked up at Gramma with wide eyes. “Ah, a great-grandchild… al… already?” He looked nervously at Lindsey, feeling the blush creep over his cheeks as he thought about it, the smile curling the edges of his lip as he thought about having a child with Lindsey. A tiny little person that was his and he smiled at her wider. “I suppose that wouldn’t be so bad. Perhaps after the threat is handled, we can think more clearly about it…”

“Uuugh, Gramma!” Lindsey scolded. She let her head drop to the table with a loud bang and she groaned again. Leave it to Gramma to put them all on the spot like that. She could hear the old woman snickering. She looked up again. “You are incorrigible,” she said, but something in her heart skipped at Cullen’s words and the look on his face. “We… we’ll see,” she stammered and picked up her spoon again. 

“I’ve got time,” Gramma said, a little smirk on her lips. “What have I got here but time?” she asked with a laugh, gesturing around her. She looked at Jennifer and Solas then. “That goes for the two of you as well.”

Solas slowly sat up straighter, licking his lips as he set down the spoon in his bowl. He had never thought about having children. He cast a glance at Jennifer, then looked back to Gramma. “I am afraid you may be disappointed,” he said carefully. “Children between races are exceedingly rare. I’m not saying I wouldn’t want them…” He trailed off, a nervous feeling settling into his stomach. Would Jennifer want children? With him? That would most definitely throw a kink in his plans, which included extensive travel and potential danger. 

Jennifer chuckled, unable to stop the grin that spread across her face. “Well, it won’t be for a lack of trying,” she said as she bumped Solas’ elbow, enjoying the blush on his and Cullen’s faces way too much. “Oh, would they be like little wolf babies?” She slapped a hand over her mouth and her eyes darted to Cullen.

The Commander groaned and rubbed at his face. “I really really don’t need to know if you two did it while he was shapeshifted.” He let his head fall to Lindsey’s shoulder as he tried to push the imagery from his mind. “Really didn’t need that picture in my head.”

Lindsey snickered and patted his cheek, shaking her head at her sister. “You’re a hot mess,” she teased.

Solas had to stop himself from groaning. If he’d known the conversation was going to go this way, he might not have agreed to coming here tonight. “Vhenan, do not get your hopes up,” he warned in what he hoped was a gentle tone. “As the commander mentioned, there is still much work to be done. Having a child now, if even possible, could prove to be dangerous. It would be better to wait until after the defeat of Corypheus.” Were they really having this conversation? He was decidedly uncomfortable. “Like I said, it is highly unlikely.”

“Is that so?” Gramma asked, raising her eyebrow skeptically. A knowing smirk played across her lips. “Try telling that to the little one growing inside her right now.”

Jennifer’s eyes went wide, her eyebrows shooting up into her hairline and she looked down at her lap, placing a hand over her lower abdomen. “Wait, what?” She looked back up at her Gramma, seeing the twinkle in the old woman’s eyes. “Really?” she breathed as she felt her heart pound in her chest and she looked at Solas as if she were seeing him for the first time. “I’m pregnant? How… how long?” she asked as she looked back to the woman, a smile growing on her face.

“Only a couple weeks.”

Solas couldn’t breathe, his stomach turning in a knot. He didn’t know what to feel in that moment but shock. The chances of this happening… He mentally shook himself. Of course the impossible would happen to him. It always did. He reached for Jennifer’s hand again and squeezed it tightly, swallowing harshly as he looked at her. She looked radiant in that moment and his racing pulse slowed just a bit. He did the only thing he could think to do in that moment and grabbed her face, kissing her fiercely. 

“Well… shit,” Lindsey muttered and got up from the table. Her sister was pregnant? That was a twist she didn’t see coming. She dug in Gramma’s pocket and grabbed the pack of clove cigarettes she knew would be there, ignoring the way Gramma slapped at her hands. She lit one and went to stand by the open window. “Ah, congrats?” she asked with a smile. “I’m so going to spoil the shit outta this kid.”

Cullen looked over at Jennifer, though he leaned back as he got a whiff of the scent of smoke from Lindsey. It smelled spicy almost, warm and cozy. He sighed at the relief of it and he smiled back at Jennifer. “Congratulations are in order, for the both of you. Maker, better let Josephine know last. She will not let you have a peaceful moment at all once she finds a baby is on the way.” He chuckled at Solas as he kissed Jennifer. There was a look on his face, a desperation. 

Gramma fixed Cullen with a look. “Don’t think that gets you off the hook, young man,” she said. “I’ll accept waiting until this mess with Corypheus is over. I understand that. But once that’s done, you better get busy,” she said, snapping her fingers at him. She had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep herself from laughing.

Jennifer smiled against Solas as he finally pulled back from her, resting his head against hers. She couldn’t get the grin off of her face, it was too wonderful. She could see the light sparking in his eyes, the way his smile  made the corners of his eyes crinkle and it made her heart beat faster. 

Solas’ hands shook terribly and he tucked them under the table to hide it. A father. He was going to be a father. He couldn’t even begin to wrap his mind around all that that would mean and entail. He felt excited, terrified, and somehow guilty. With his plans to restore the world to what it had been before, he now didn’t know what he would do. It was all a lot to take in. He let his eyes close as he leaned his forehead against Jennifer. “Ar lath ma,” he murmured softly.

Gramma felt the emotions from Solas and smirked to herself. That was a normal reaction from just about any man who wasn’t expecting such news. He would warm up more to the idea as time progressed, she knew. She could feel his loyalty to Jennifer, his protectiveness, his devotion. She got up and went to the counter to cut big slices of chocolate cake for each of them, setting them on the table. “You will be excellent parents,” she assured them.

“Love you too, ma Fen.” Jennifer smiled at the slices of chocolate cake, sighing happily as she ate the cake, feeling a little bit of sorrow seeping into her chest at the thought. “I wish you would be there when the little one comes. You were there to deliver everyone in the family.” She chuckled. “Rumored that you delivered yourself on your day,” she said as she leaned against Solas.

“Oh I’ll be there,” Gramma told her. “I’m always with you. But I know what you mean. Don’t you worry about a thing, the people at Skyhold will take good care of you. Talk to that Josephine. I bet she can get everything arranged for you, find you a good midwife. You’ll be fine. But you’ve got plenty of time to worry about that. And you’ve got your sister with you. It’ll all be okay.” 

Lindsey exhaled a heavy stream of smoke from her place by the window and shook her head. “Don’t you dare look at me. I don’t know shit about babies,” she said. “I can hear her screaming now. I’ll be hiding in a closet the day that baby comes.” She snickered and winked at her sister to show she was joking. Sort of. “We’ll find you some sort of earplugs for that day, Solas.”

He rolled his eyes but gave a soft laugh. “Thoughtful as always,” he said as he finally reached for a fork and took a bite of the cake. He gave a hum of appreciation. “I do believe this is better than the frilly cakes in Val Royeaux,” he said. Though he wouldn’t admit it, he rather had a sweet tooth for cakes. He glanced at Jennifer out of the corner of his eye and smiled again.

Jennifer grinned over at her sister. “You say that, but you know you’ll be there ready to run away with the little one as soon as you can, get it hyped up on sugars and then give it back.” She felt a little thrill through her at the idea, an excitement that could only come from the unknown. She wanted to wake up later and discuss this with Solas in reality.

“Lindsey, get over here and sit down,” Gramma commanded, pointing at the empty chair next to Cullen. “Good gods, you’re acting like your sister’s contagious.” 

“She might be,” Lindsey said as she crushed out the cigarette butt and sat down next to Cullen again. The idea was still so new, to think of her sister being a mother, of herself as an aunt. Still, she couldn’t stop the little squee feeling in her chest. “I bet the baby has little pointy ears! Er-mah-gerd, it’ll be so cute! You’re right, I might have to steal it. Get all the baby snuggles without the pain. It’s a brilliant plan.” She looked at Cullen and grinned. “You’ll help me steal the baby, right?”

Cullen chuckled at the thought, looking over at Solas who was watching them both with sharp eyes. “I… Ah… don’t think that Solas would appreciate that as much as we would,” he said as he smiled at Lindsey, rubbing at her knee before he looked over at Gramma who was watching him carefully. “Ah.” A blush crept over his cheeks to his nose and he swallowed. “It is my hope that we will be taking care of your granddaughters for a while yet.”

Gramma’s expression softened. “I know you will,” she said. She’d seen more than enough of both of these men to know that her granddaughters were in good hands. She gave a sigh, knowing they had been there for a long while. “I imagine you will all have to wake up soon,” she said. “I’m sure you have busy days ahead of you.” She stood up and gathered up the empty plates and put them in the sink before she turned to them. “Come here, girls. Give me a hug before you have to go.”

Lindsey hurried over to her, hugging Gramma tightly. “I miss you,” she whispered. She didn’t want to go just yet, didn’t want to say goodbye. Again. 

“Hush,” Gramma said, giving a slight laugh as Jennifer hurried over to her as well. “You can visit me here any time you want. You just might have to ask Solas to help you get here. And I’m always watching, I’m always with you. Now don’t be sad.”

Jennifer grinned as she hugged their Gramma. “Oh, I’ll be here as much as you can stand it!” she said holding her tight before she kissed her cheek, “I love you so much. We both do. Seeing you again is just what we needed. It was perfect, answering so many questions.” 

“I love you girls, too,” she said and kissed each of them on the cheek before she pulled back and smiled at them. “Now go on. Be good. We’ll do this again soon,” she promised before she turned to Solas and held her arms out for him, smiling bigger as he stepped forward and let her hug him. “You take care of her and that baby,” she said quietly to him. “And don’t worry so much. Everything will work out in the end. Everything.”

There was something deeper to her words, he could feel it. And somehow it calmed the worry and the nervousness in him. “I will,” Solas promised before he let go of her and pulled Jennifer close to his side. He couldn’t help but to reach over and place his hand over her belly for just a moment, a new wave of excitement and fear washing over him all at once. 

Gramma turned an expectant look at Cullen and crooked her finger at him. “No one eats at my table and then gets to leave without giving me a hug,” she said, though the corner of her mouth turned up in a smile. “You’re practically family now.”

Cullen chuckled and nodded, moving forward and leaning down to wrap the older woman into a hug and he smiled against her, she smelled of spices and smoke. A good scent that reminded him of better times, safety. “I’m glad I got to meet the woman behind them. It’s been an honor and a pleasure,” he said quietly.

She smiled at how polite he was. “You take good care of her. And don’t you worry about those scars on her back. I’ll tell Dorian what to do, see if we can fade them. It wasn’t your fault,” she said softly in his ear. A mischievous smirk played across the old woman’s lips and before Cullen could pull away, she slapped her hand to his rear and pinched it.

The squeak that left Cullen’s mouth was nothing compared to how high he jumped into the air before retreating behind Lindsey. 

Jennifer couldn’t stop laughing as she watched the display. “Oh Cullen. You should learn. Gramma ALWAYS gets her way,” she said with a wide smile as she looked up at Solas and grinned.

Lindsey doubled over with laughter so hard she nearly choked. The look on Cullen’s face and the way he’d yelped were priceless. As was the shit-eating grin on her grandmother’s face. She had to grab onto his arm to keep herself from falling over. She finally stood up straight again, trying to calm herself as she wiped away the tears in her eyes with her thumb. “A-And you thought the Winter Palace was bad!” she laughed. “Oh shit, that was funny. Your ass just isn’t safe anywhere, baby.”

Cullen rubbed at his backside, his face burning as he rubbed at the back of his neck. “So, Solas, how do we, ah, get out of here?” he asked, feeling rather foolish for having jumped so, but Maker preserve him, that woman was a handful! “I’m starting to feel as though I am just eye candy.”

Solas managed a slight laugh before he bowed to Gramma. “We will visit again soon,” he promised before he offered Jennifer his arm and left the house, walking slowly beside her as his mind turned over everything he had just learned. The house behind them faded and he looked to Lindsey and Cullen. “We will see you in the morning,” he said. “I imagine we’ll all be waking up soon. Return to your dreams for now.” He gave a nod as they seemed to disappear and it was just him and Jennifer. He didn’t know what to say to her, so he pulled her close to his side and pressed a firm kiss to the top of her head.

Jennifer felt a smile growing across her lips as she leaned into his side, smiling at him. “Can you believe it?” she asked him, her voice barely above a whisper as she thought about it herself and pressed a hand to her lower belly. “Wow,” she giggled, “Lindsey’s probably right. I’ll bet the little one takes after you. Pointed ears and all.” She looked back up at him, reaching up and cupping his face for a moment before she pulled him down for a long, passionate kiss. Pregnant. With his baby. Surely she must have died or passed out from dehydration out in the desert.

He gave a soft moan as he pressed his lips back against hers, pulling her tight against him. A million new questions seemed to flood his mind at her words. Would the child take after him? Would it be a mage? Or would it look more like her? It all made him slightly dizzy and ridiculously happy and frightened at the same time. He finally pulled back, his lungs burning for air, and he rested his forehead against hers, his hand sliding down her back to rest on her rear. “Are you truly happy, vhenan?”

She smiled against him, leaning her head against his as she looked up into his eyes. “Yes. More than I can say.” She mused, “But what about you? This might put a damper on your plans.” She trailed off, wondering what this would mean. She didn’t think he would leave her to go chasing whatever it was he wanted to do with the orb or Mythal’s power. She smiled faintly, reminding herself that she couldn’t trust what she knew any longer. It was changing and it was out of her control to stop it. “Even if… you know… you don’t want this, I do.” The thought of carrying a child terrified and thrilled her, but the thought of doing it alone scared her even more.

His heart sank at her words and he grabbed her face with both hands, gently but firmly. “I want this,” he whispered fiercely. The words left his lips before he even had time to think about them, but they were true. He held her gaze, an intensity burning in his eyes. “Don’t you dare think for one second that I regret anything with you. That I don’t want you or our child. Plans change. I can live with that. I cannot live without you.” He pressed a firm kiss to her lips, then did it again. And again. Then he wrapped his arms around her neck and hugged her tightly, fighting the burning sensation in his eyes. It hurt to think that for even a moment she thought he might leave her or put his plans above her and his child. “Ar lath ma, ma vhenan,” he murmured. “You will not face one moment of this alone. I swear it.”

Jennifer felt rather silly for having mentioned it, but it had always been a fear of hers. However ungrounded it was. She blamed it on the movies. She definitely didn’t like seeing the tears in his eyes because of what she said and she frowned at herself, reaching up to wipe them away. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have even suggested that. It was rather thoughtless of me, ma lath,” she said quietly, “I just don’t know what to think any more.” She hugged him back tightly. “Thank you so much for this. All of it.”

He gave a breathless laugh, leaning into her touch. “You may change your opinion in time,” he said. He placed his hand over hers, nuzzling against her palm. “This news is unexpected, and a bit frightening, but we will manage. I am sorry if my reaction was not what you’d hoped. Your grandmother surprised me.” He swallowed and kissed her forehead. “Everything will be alright, as long as we are together.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya'll asked for it. Hope you enjoyed the fluff/squee-ness of this chapter!


	29. Chapter 29

Solas blinked awake in Jennifer’s bed, staring up at the ceiling for a moment. It was still dark out, but he knew it had to be close to sunrise. A soft groan escaped him and he rubbed at his face with both hands before he let them flop to the bed and he turned his face to look at her. She was still asleep next to him, looking peaceful, serene. Her long dark hair spread out across the pillow like a halo around her head, the tiniest hint of a smile on her full lips. He reached over to gently touch her face, drawing his thumb over her lips before he let his hand trail lower to rest over her belly.

It was all the more real to him then. Their child was there, growing inside her. A strange sensation came over him, along with the excitement and the fear was a sense of falling, like he suddenly realized he would never love anything or anyone as much as he loved this woman and their child. And a protectiveness rose up in him as well. He couldn’t even entertain thoughts of what he would do if someone so much as looked at them wrong. 

He shook his head and gathered Jennifer up in his arms, holding her close to him. He didn’t mean to wake her, but he leaned back slightly as he felt her stir, and he smiled. “Rest,” he said softly, brushing a few strands of hair off of her forehead. “I did not mean to disturb you. I just wanted to hold you for a moment.”

“Mmmm,” Jennifer mumbled, turning into his embrace. His bare skin was deliciously warm and buried underneath the covers with him, it was too good for her to say no to his suggestion. “Rest is something I think I’ll… I mean, we’ll find ourselves short on in the days to come.” She turned her face into the curve of his neck, inhaling him deeply before she smiled. The task of having and raising a baby was daunting on principle alone. To have a child away from everything that she had grown up knowing, even more so. Still, her Gramma had taught her well, perhaps it wasn’t as terrifying as she was making it out to be.  

“I want you to get as much rest as possible,” he said softly, running his long fingers through her silky hair. “Eat well, take care of yourself. Should I speak to Dorian? I’m certain your sister can handle more of the cooking so you can rest.” He let his fingertips massage lightly at her scalp, her strands of hair easily slipping through his fingers. A smile touched his lips at the expression on her face. “I don’t like the idea of you working too hard, vhenan.”

She laughed, looking up at him before she reached up and patted his cheek before she moved her fingers up so she could play with a delicate pointed ear. “Just because I’m a few weeks pregnant doesn’t make me an immediate invalid. I should stay active. Then when I’m all like a beached whale, then, then I will rest,” she said, the corner of her lips turning up in a smile before she suddenly stopped and frowned, “Does this world have ice cream? Shit, gonna have to fix that.” She smiled at his expression. “Sorry, I’m rambling.”

A low laugh escaped him. “I will do my best to spoil you, find you every treat you crave. I’m certain you and your sister will be able to create this ice cream if that is what you truly want,” he said. The idea amused him and he rubbed his nose against hers. Damn her. He realized he was truly wrapped around her finger now, and what was worse is that he didn’t mind it in the slightest. A grin spread across his lips. “I do believe you are trying to tame me,” he said in a lightly-accusatory tone.

Jennifer chuckled. “What? Me tame the great Dread Wolf? Perish the thought. I know you are a wild and magnificent creature, I wouldn’t dare tame you. I think you’ve changed me though,” she said before she kissed the tip of his nose, “And if more than one pops out, I’m calling it a litter, just so you have fair warning. Or is that just for cats? Litter of puppies?” She thought for a moment but then waved her hand. “You know what I mean,” she said as she studied him for a moment, reaching up to trace her fingers over his face, the scar on his brow, the cleft chin. She couldn’t get over how handsome he was.

“Oh vhenan,” he groaned and scrubbed at his eye with the heel of his hand. The things that came out of her mouth sometimes. He gave a laugh and shook his head. “You certainly keep me on my toes. I never know what’s going to come out of that pretty mouth of yours,” he said. He leaned in to kiss her again, sliding a leg between hers, just enjoying having a quiet moment to themselves to be able to hold her like this. The first light of day crept through the window, falling across her face, and he smiled as he stroked her cheek with his thumb. “I do believe you are glowing.”

She couldn’t stop the shiver that ran down her spine as his leg slipped between hers and she leaned into his touch, hyper aware of him in that moment. “Charmer,” she purred at him before she leaned forward and caught his lips with her own, sighing out against him as she shift her leg between his as she relished the feel of their skin together. “Mmm how about I make this a very good morning for you?” she asked in a low voice, letting her hands twitch and skim over his body under the covers.

Solas let out a slight hiss at her touch, his pulse beginning to quicken. “I like the sound of that,” he purred at her as he dipped his head to suck at the side of her neck, running his hands over her in return. He cupped her breast, teasing her nipple to firmness with his thumb as his length hardened against her thigh. His other hand trailed down her back to grab her rear, pulling her firmly against him. A soft moan escaped him as his hips rocked against her. “What did you have in mind, vhenan?” he asked and kissed his way down her chest to capture her nipple in his mouth.

Jennifer sighed out, tilting her head back as his hot mouth sealed around her, making it extremely difficult to try and think of how she wanted to do this. Though, the idea of just rolling him onto his back and going for it had appeal, she wanted something different. She nearly snorted at the thought that came to mind and knew without a doubt she’d be shoved outside the door for even suggesting doggie style. Oh but she couldn’t resist and she cupped the back of his head as he suckled at her, rubbing carefully behind one of his long ears. “Don’t suppose you’d be interested in doggie style?” She nearly laughed at herself, “They have that here, right? If not, we are inventing it right now.”

Solas had to pull away from her breast for a moment as he snickered, resting his forehead against her chest. “I’ve never been a fan of the name, but yes,” he answered. His fingers skimmed over her hip, marveling at how soft and smooth her skin was before his hand slipped between her legs. He gave a groan to feel her hot, slick folds and he slid two long fingers into her body, watching her carefully. He shivered at the feel of her on his fingers as he worked them in and out of her body, his thumb massaging her clit, and he leaned in to lick at her throat. “I would be  _ very  _ interested,” he rumbled.

She couldn’t stop the moan that he worked from her lips as his talented fingers played her body like a fine tuned instrument and she thrust her hips up against his hand as she spread her legs wider to give him better access. “Oh gods yes, please.” She writhed against him, feeling the pleasure starting to narrow down her world to just Solas and herself. “Please, ma lath.”

He smiled against her skin as he kissed the valley between her breasts, working his way down her stomach until he settled between her legs. His eyes met hers as he pushed her legs further apart and leaned in to taste her. A low moan rumbled in his throat as he laved his tongue over her delicate flesh, savoring the tart, sweet taste of her sex. He slid his arms under her thighs, then curled his hands around them to hold her in place as his tongue dipped into her body. His eyes rolled in his head at the decadent flavor and his hard cock twitched against the mattress beneath him. 

Jennifer didn’t even try to stop the cry of pleasure that was forced from her throat as his hot mouth covered her and a skilled tongue teased her so perfectly. Oh she was never letting him go. She was already so close from the very thought of him just taking her in any way he wanted, the domination was thrilling and she reached down, running her hands over his head as she threw hers back against the pillow. “Oh gods Solas. Yes yes yes YES. Right there. Oh gods!” she shouted and saw stars as she came, crying out her pleasure. Wanting to wrap her legs around his head until she was spent, but unable to do so as he restrained her. It left her aching and wanting for more as she sank back against the bed.

A deep moan escaped his throat as she came, and he continued to lick and suck at her body until her orgasm subsided. He gently pulled back from her, licking his lips, then wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. There was a predatory look in his eyes as he let his gaze roam over her. He had to have her now. His length was hard and aching. “Roll over,” he commanded, reaching for her and turning her to lay on her stomach. A grin crossed his lips as she complied, pulling her knees up under her, and he ran a hand appreciatively over her rear. Another groan rumbled in his throat as he wrapped his fingers around his length, stroking it as he positioned himself behind her. “You are so beautiful like this, ma lath,” he said as he teased the head of his cock against her entrance. He shivered at the heat, then plunged himself into her, unable to hold back anymore.

Jennifer moaned out as he filled her, the position making him seem larger in her than she could remember and she loved the feeling of his hands spread out over her backside. She turned her head to the side, laying down on the bed as she looked back at him, rocking back on his cock before she squeezed her muscles tight. “So good,” she moaned softly at him, “Don’t hold back. I want it all, Solas.” His name dripped from her lips like a caress.

He threw his head back with a moan as her silken heat wrapped around his aching cock. He grabbed her hips and pulled her back against him as he thrust into her, the sound of their skin slapping together filling the air. “Jennifer,” he groaned as he leaned over, kissing the smooth skin of her back, his teeth leaving gentle love bites on her flesh. His cock ached and swelled, demanding release, but he denied himself. He wanted to make it last, wanted to make her come again first. “You’re so tight,” he breathed as he drove himself into her. “You feel incredible, ma vhenan.”

The only thing Jennifer didn’t like about this position was that it was hard to see him, and she really really liked watching him come undone. She smiled up at him before a moan escaped her again. “You make me feel incredible,” she purred at him as she wiggled back against him, letting out a shuddering sigh as he thrust into her, his length touching all the right places inside of her, drawing her higher and higher with every touch, every kiss. He was gripping her so hard, she knew there would be hand prints later and she relished in the idea. 

The corners of his mouth jerked in a smile at her words, a pride welling within him and he pounded himself harder into her. He tried to swallow the shout of pleasure, but failed. He leaned over her, determined to make her come again first before he gave in to the desire to do so himself, one hand sliding down the front of her thigh to reach her clit. He found the little nub and rubbed it rapidly with his long fingers, his other hand sliding up to cup her breast, tweaking a nipple. He groaned as she bucked back against him, taking his cock to the hilt. “I want to make you come again,” he breathed heavily in her ear.

Her mouth went dry at the heat of his words against her ear and she writhed as he teased her clit, making her clench harder around him. “Oh gods, yes. Please, please,” she begged, loving the way he draped himself over her. Oh it wasn’t going to take much to send her over the edge again and she groaned as he pleased her. “Please Solas, I’m going to come, I’m so close. I want to feel you fill me up. Please. So hot, so good,” she cried out, feeling her body throb as he continued to mercilessly tease her, building up her pleasure, “Just a bit more!”

Solas panted heavily as he thrust into her. She was so tight, so hot and wet on him that he thought he might lose his mind to the pleasure. Hearing her beg for it only made it harder for him to hold himself back. He loved the feel of the heavy curve of her breast in his hand, the wetness around her clit on his fingers of the other. He carefully pinched the little nub, twisting it, teasing it. “Vhenan,” he panted huskily. “I’m so close… Come for me… ngh… please come for me.”

That did it and it had her arching her back against Solas as she came, tightening around him so deeply in her body. “Ah! Fuck,” she cried out as he rocked into her. “YES, SOLAS, YES!” she yelled, certain everyone in Skyhold knew what she was up to and she didn’t care. She let the elf pull her back against him as he pounded into her, the pleasure making her delirious for him. 

He groaned loudly as she rode out her orgasm on him. That was heaven, to feel her clench so tight around him like that. He pulled back and grabbed her hips again, probably a little more forcefully than he should have, and drove himself even harder into her. His name on her lips was making him lose his control, his balls drawn up tight against his body, demanding release so strongly it almost hurt. “I… I can’t…” he stammered, unable to even finish his sentence as he came with a loud moan, his cock pumping thick ropes of cum deep into her willing body. He slammed her rear back against his hips, holding her tightly to him as his length jerked inside of her until the last drops splurted from the tip. He fell forward and rested his forehead between her shoulderblades, still gripping her hips with his hands, and tried to catch his breath.

It was better than she had imagined it, feeling the heat bloom inside of her as he spent himself and she shuddered under him as another minor orgasm swept through her at the sensation. “Oh gods, Solas,” she breathed as she let herself slump to the bed, “That was amazing.” She moaned as she felt boneless, completely sated for the moment. “Mmm, now, c’mere. I just want to look at you for a good long while,” she murmured as she reached back and squeezed his hand.

He fell heavily on his side next to her, still sweating and trying to catch his breath as he gave her a smile. He reached out to touch her face, letting the backs of his fingers trail over her soft skin. “Do you have any idea what you do to me?” he asked breathlessly. “Do you have any idea how much I love you?” He shifted closer to her on the bed to press a kiss to her lips, a fluttery feeling in his own stomach. 

She smiled at him, kissing him back enthusiastically. Her heart was going to burst from everything and she was content to just lay there, facing him as they enjoyed each other.  She rolled to her side and scooted closer to him until their legs were tangled together again. She reached up and laid her palm against his cheek, something she wanted to do and didn’t want to stop. “I can’t seem to keep my hands off of you. That you are here with me, it just… it’s perfect.” She sighed and brushed her thumb over his high cheekbone. “I never dreamed this was possible when I was just playing the game back in the other world, but now? I can’t imagine the future without you in it.”

He smiled softly at her, moving his arm to wrap around her shoulders. “It is perfect,” he agreed. His heart warmed and he knew that he felt the exact same as she, that he couldn’t picture a future without her in it. “I don’t want to imagine this world without you,” he answered. He turned his face to kiss at her palm, his eyes gazing into hers. “I know this world is in chaos right now, because of Corypheus and all that is going on. But this will not last. And once he is defeated, I will make the world right again. The way it was always supposed to be. I will make the world a good place for you, for our child to grow up in.”

Jennifer watched his eyes, the passion she could see there when he spoke about making the world a better place. It excited her to see him so motivated. “I’ll hold you to it, Solas,” she murmured as she leaned forward, kissing his chin, his nose, before she pulled back and laid her head on his shoulder. “Mmm, my but we have a lot of work ahead of us, don’t we? Did you…” She cut herself off, wondering if it was wrong to ask, “Did you still want to leave?”

“Yes,” he answered, seeing the worry and uncertainty in her eyes. “But not until you are able to travel. Leaving now would put you in unnecessary danger. I will not do that to you or the baby.” He laid a protective hand over her stomach. “It will be safest for you here. Skyhold can provide so much more than anything we might have on our own. We will stay for now. Do not worry, vhenan. I will not ask that from you. I want you comfortable and safe.” He kissed her forehead, his hand still resting over her belly. He would not put her through such a hardship, trying to travel while pregnant, giving birth in the middle of who-knows-where. That wasn’t fair to her.

“Thank you,” she said as she smiled at him, relief settling over her as she sighed and let herself truly relax in his embrace. “Then the only danger I will be in will come from Josephine and anyone else who would get excited over the news of a baby being born during such dark times,” she said as she thought about it and briefly wondered if Blackwall would carve something for the little one. Her sister didn’t agree, but she always had a soft spot for the not-Warden. “Mmm, you tell Dorian I feel like taking the day off.”

A little spark of excitement flared in his chest at that. So she wasn’t going to be stubborn. Maybe they could spend the whole day in her room, just enjoying each other in every way possible. “I can do that,” he said and kissed her again. “And I know I swore to protect you, but when it comes to the Lady Ambassador, I fear you may be on your own,” he teased, snickering at the expression on her face. “You know the news will spread through Skyhold like wildfire. It always does. Would you like me to bring you some breakfast?”

“Good heavens, if you aren’t careful, you are going to end up spoiling me rotten,” she teased him, running her hand up and down his arm. “Not that I’m complaining,” she added as she nuzzled at his neck, “I would love some breakfast.” And she nipped playfully at his skin. 

“I intend to spoil you as much as you’ll let me,” he answered, smiling at her playfulness. He groaned as he forced himself to get out of the bed and retrieved his clothes to start pulling them on. He turned to the bed again and pulled the covers up over her, running his hand down her side as he smoothed them. “I will be back,” he said softly and kissed her again, letting his lips linger on hers for a moment before he finally forced himself to pull away, heading to the kitchen to bring her something to eat.


	30. Chapter 30

“You’re going to spoil her,” Lindsey commented as she set two plates on a tray and handed them to Solas. A smile tugged at her lips. “Oh well, let her enjoy breakfast while she can still keep it down. I hope she doesn’t end up with morning sickness too bad.” She slicked a piece of hair out of her face with a sigh and grinned at him. “Go on. Let me know if there’s anything else she needs.”

He gave her a nod of his head. “Thank you,” he said and turned carefully, carrying the tray out of the kitchen.

She blinked in surprise as the kitchen door opened and Dorian came in, holding the door for Solas before he walked towards her. “Dorian! I’m sorry, your breakfast is almost ready,” she said and quickly turned to stir more of the pancake batter she’d whipped up that morning. “I’m on my own today. Jen is… ah… not feeling like herself,” she said, unsure if Jennifer wanted to tell Dorian herself about the baby or not. She winced as the spoon slipped from her hand. “This damn thumb,” she muttered to herself and grabbed the spoon with her other hand.

Dorian gave her a look and waved his hand in the air while his other went to rub at his backside. “Your grandmother is relentless, by the way. She must have pinched me at least six times. I can even feel it now, though I am wide awake. I should have known, everyone has trouble keeping their hands off of me.” He gave her a look. “And don’t worry too much. I know breakfast will be delicious once you get it together. You should know, your Gramma as it were, charged me with making a salve to help you and Varric.” He frowned, seeing her still stirring the damned batter. He strode forward and caught her wrist, turning her to face him before he pulled her into a crushing hug. “Stop that. You deserve a day off after all that you’ve been through,” he murmured into her hair, “I was so worried about you.”

She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. “I’m okay,” she assured him, though she had to swallow hard. By the gods, he gave the best hugs. Her back stung slightly from his hug, a weird combination of numbness and tingles. But she did her best to hide the fact that it bothered her. She didn’t want everyone fussing over her. “So you met Gramma?” she asked as she pulled back, grinning at him. “She’s a character, isn’t she? What is this salve you mentioned?” Though he said she could take the day off, she wasn’t about to waste the food she’d started and she turned to spoon out some of the batter into a hot pan.

He crossed his arms as he watched her work. “Said there was a recipe in the spellbook that we brought with us back from your world. Combined with my magic I should have something that will be quite effective at healing your back from what that monster Erimond did to you and Varric. It might take a few applications over a few days, but she swore up and down that it would do the trick.” He smiled at her as she continued working, “I’ll be up in my study working on it when you finish up here. Come and join me with breakfast, if you’ve a mind.”

Hope flared in her chest and she turned to him, smiling. “I will,” she said. If Gramma and Dorian had put their heads together over something, she knew it would work. Even if it didn’t completely remove the scars, it was sure to help at least. And maybe if it worked, Cullen wouldn’t feel so guilty about not getting there in time to stop Erimond from doing what he’d done. She flung her arms around him again. “Thank you, Dorian,” she said and kissed his cheek. “I owe you.”

He laughed and hugged her back. “Nonsense, my dear. I know that you would do the same for me and anyone else if you had to. So don’t you think anything more of it, yes?” he said as he pulled back, his hands on her shoulders, “Now. I’ll leave you to your cooking and I’ll go get started. I imagine you and Varric will want it as soon as I can complete it, and I am not a man who keeps others waiting.” 

She nodded. “I’ll come find you when breakfast is ready,” she said and turned to flip the pancakes, unable to hide the excitement on her face. It had only been a few days, but already she was sick of the scars on her back. She would take anything that might help at this point. “It won’t take me long.”

* * *

 

Cassandra had only been at her training dummies for a short while that morning when she saw Dorian walking towards her, looking like he hadn’t slept a wink the night before. She sheathed her sword and turned to him, concern on her face. “Dorian?” she asked, walking forward to meet him. His hair was a mess and there was a tiredness in his eyes that she wasn’t used to seeing. “Are you alright? You look exhausted. Has something happened?”

Dorian shook his head, ignoring her concern as he reached for his potions pouch and handed the vial to Cassandra. “Something I was able to make with the help of Lindsey, her grandmother, and that lovely spellbook of theirs.” He waved his hand in the air at the questioning look she gave him at his explanation. “Too long of a story to get it all out. The short version, I’ve made a poultice that should lessen the effects of the scars on Varric and Lindsey. I’m on my way to her rooms right now to drop off her dose. Took me all night to make it, but hopefully it was worth it. You will let me know if you need more, yes? And the effects of this batch, but I’m fairly certain it will work.”

She gasped as he handed her the vial. “Dorian! I…” She swallowed hard and looked up at him. “Thank you. I know Varric will appreciate it as well.” She couldn’t wait to see if it would really work. Though he tried not to let it show, she knew those scars bothered Varric terribly. She clutched the little bottle to her chest. “I will let you know. I’ll take it to him right now,” she started across the yard, but stopped and turned back to him. “You go rest. You deserve it. And I know you already know this, but you are brilliant.”

She hurried through the castle until she reached the door to Varric’s room and eased it open as quietly as possible. Just as she’d suspected, he was still sleeping soundly. The fire crackled brightly in the fireplace and she knew he must’ve stayed up late writing as he usually did. He was sleeping flat on his chest, the blankets only pulled up to about his waist, and he wore no shirt. The long, raised scars on his back shone in the firelight and she had to swallow hard. It broke her heart to see them and know that she couldn’t save him from it happening. 

She uncorked the vial and carefully sat on the edge of his bed, pouring a healthy measure of it into her hand before rubbing her palms together. It warmed and tingled against her skin before she carefully laid her hands over his back and began to rub it into his skin.

Varric stirred in his sleep, wincing at the odd sensation on his back. He must have rolled over again and was sleeping on it again. Maker’s breath, he couldn’t get used to the feeling of the scars. He couldn’t stand to have anything touching them so he hid out in his room, wearing only his breeches as he answered letters and continued on his books. He turned his face into the pillow, trying to will himself back to sleep when he froze. He was still laying on his stomach, but there was that sensation on his back. He turned his head and cracked an eye open, letting out a sigh and smiling. “Ah, Seeker. Trying the back massage again?” He relaxed into the sheets. “Feels good.”

“More than that,” she answered, smiling softly as she felt him relax again. “Dorian made up something that he said would help. I thought we would try it. He said he and Lindsey worked on it yesterday, something about the spellbook and her grandmother? I didn’t quite understand it all, but he was very tired and didn’t feel like talking. I’m sure we will get the whole story once he’s rested. He stayed up all night to work on this for you.” She leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek as she continued to work the poultice over his skin. “Is it bothering you? I don’t want to rub too hard.”

“Just feels like, numb and sore,” he said as she rubbed over his back. He had to admit, it was starting to feel nice, “Kind of tingling too.” Varric turned and looked up at her as she sat next to him on the bed and he moved, crossing his arms in front of him so he could lay his head on them. “Sorry, I know it’s been bothering you too. We’ve talked about it and I don’t want to even imagine what it would have been like if Lindsey hadn’t been there,” he said as he closed his eyes, trying to focus on feeling Cassandra’s palms on his back. 

“I know. Not that anything about the situation was fortunate, but at least you had each other to keep yourselves sane,” she said. She tilted her head slightly, narrowing her eyes as she looked at his back. Were the scars less raised already or was that wishful thinking? She couldn’t be certain and she kept rubbing at him, determined not to let her face show how much it bothered her. Not that she was repulsed by him, never that, but repulsed by what had been done to him, what he had to bear because some depraved magister got a hold of him. “We will find a way to make this better,” she promised. “If this does not work, Dorian will think of something better.”

Varric chuckled. “I know. At least it would be nice if I could wear a shirt again without having to think about it all the damned time,” he muttered as he reached out with one hand, giving her arm a squeeze. “It almost feels like my back’s fallen asleep, but now it’s trying to wake up. You know? That pins and needles feeling. It’s promising,” he said, wanting to give her some hope. He wasn’t sure if it was working or not.

“Eh,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “I hate that feeling. But maybe it is doing something. If it gets too uncomfortable, let me know. I don’t want to hurt you.” She had to swallow a knot in her throat to think that her touch, while intended to be loving, could make him uncomfortable. She blinked several times to rid her eyes of the tears that tried to burn there. She’d been doing her best not to let him see her upset. She paused and poured more of it down his spine, then ran her hands over the slick, warm liquid, spreading it to his lower back. 

Varric let his eyes fall closed again, moaning softly at her touch as she continued to work the salve into his skin. “You know, Seeker, I’m not blind. I know how much this whole thing bothers you. Trust me, this is so much better than anything I’ve suffered through. You aren’t hurting me, so try rubbing a bit harder. Maybe after you get it all down, you’ll just be able to wipe away the evidence of what that slimy bastard did to me.”

She swallowed again and nodded, not trusting her own voice as she rubbed harder at his back, letting her thumbs press firmly into the muscles. “It’s not you,” she whispered, looking down at his back as she massaged the liquid into his skin. “It’s what he did to you. I wish I could have stopped him. I’m so sorry, Varric.” She leaned over again and pressed a kiss to his shoulder, letting her lips linger against his warm skin. “It’s not you. You know that, right?”

He nodded. “I know. Trust me, I know,” he breathed as he turned back into the pillow, the more she rubbed, the more the tingling spread and changed. It felt pleasant after a while and he felt his eyes drooping despite himself. The scent of lavender seemed to fill the air and he sighed in contentment before he reached back and gave Cassandra’s wrist a tug. “I know it’s before noon, but take a nap with me, Seeker. I missed you.”

She gave a nod and moved to lay down next to him, lying on her stomach just like he was, and scooted closer to him. A smile tugged at her lips as she reached up and brushed a piece of hair from his face. “I hope it helps,” she said softly, watching him with that sleepy expression on his face. She liked this side of him, the soft, sleepy, quiet Varric that no one else got to see. Like it was just for her. “If it doesn’t, we’ll kick Dorian. Agreed?” she teased.

Varric laughed and leaned over, catching her lips in a lazy kiss before he laid back down, studying her face. “Should have told me how great it was to be on your good side. I would have joined ages ago,” he murmured as he lifted a hand and brushed a few strands of her hair behind her ear, “I don’t regret anything, you know. Only that it took us both so long to see what was right in front of our faces. I’ll be happy and that horrible romantic sap because I almost lost everything.”

A happy sigh slipped from her lips and she remembered something she had heard Jennifer teasingly say one time. “Don’t threaten me with a good time,” she said, smiling softly at him. It was strange to be in bed at this hour, normally she was up and training, or out on a mission with the Inquisitor, but she felt sleep pulling at her and she gave a yawn. “This is your fault,” she accused as she snuggled a little more into his side, her eyes blinking slowly. “You are going to ruin me, talking me into taking naps with you.”

He chuckled and draped an arm over her, pulling her close. “Technically, it’s still my bedtime, Seeker. I only came to bed about a few hours ago.” He smirked as she playfully smacked his arm. “But that’s me, Varric Tethras, corrupting the devout and resolute for years.”  

“You are incorrigible,” she murmured, trying to fight the smile on her lips. She groaned as she settled into the bed, the feel of his warm arm around her shoulders lulling her to sleep. “A complete ass,” she yawned before she kissed his lips. “Alright, we will sleep for just a little while. But then I have to be productive. Or at least appear to be.” She yawned again before she let her eyes close as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 

She didn’t know how long she slept next to Varric, but she felt a little guilty about it as she woke. She should’ve been training, working to mentally and physically prepare for the coming confrontation with Erimond. A yawn escaped her as she slid from beneath Varric’s arm and sat up, stretching her arms high over her head. She jerked as she caught sight of his back. “Maker’s breath!” she gasped. The scars were still there, but they were no longer raised and they looked to be slightly thinner than they had been. She reached out to touch him, just to reassure herself, and a silly smile split her face. “Varric!” she cried, shaking his shoulder. She frowned when all she got was a soft snore from him and she shook him again, harder. “Varric! Wake up! You cannot sleep ALL day!”

“Watch me,” Varric groaned as he lifted the pillow from beneath his head and placed it over his head as he rolled to his side, but he couldn’t stop the smile that curled his lips up. “You know, some day soon, I am just going to kidnap you for the day and show you why sleeping in all day long is such a good idea,” he muttered, “You know, sex and all that stuff.”

Cassandra yanked the pillow away from him so he could properly see the unimpressed stare she gave him. “You ass, I’m trying to tell you something! Don’t distract me right now,” she scolded. But it was too late, her eyes skimming down his chest, his abs, the line of his hip that disappeared into the waist of his breeches. She shook herself and blinked before she remembered why she’d woken him. “The salve Dorian sent looks like it worked! The scars aren’t raised like they were before. Do they feel any better?”

Varric blinked at her, the grin he had growing on his lips at her comment about being distracting started to vanish as he focused on his back, stretching his shoulders and moving his arms this way and that. He smiled brightly at Cassandra and sat up, bending over his legs and nearly sighing out at the normal feeling of his skin was the only thing he felt. There was a slight stretch, but not the uncomfortable tightness that it had been. “Touch me,” he pleaded.

She smiled and reached over to run her hand over his back, watching him carefully. He didn’t wince, there was no flicker of discomfort in his eyes. A relieved sigh escaped her and she leaned in to kiss him deeply. “Oh thank the Maker,” she breathed, wrapping her arms around him as she nipped at his bottom lip, the smile on her face growing. “Dorian has more, I think. Or said he would make more. If we try again in a few days, maybe we can fade them even more.”

He groaned appreciatively at the thought and moved to lay on his back in bed. Heaven. He couldn’t stop the moan as he stretched comfortably for the first time in what seemed like an age and he moved, tugging her down on top of him as he reclined, fitting his arms behind his head as he laid there, looking up at her. “I owe Sparkler a few drinks for this then.”

She nodded as she laughed, settling herself over his chest. “We’ll find a couple of bottles of fine wine for him,” she agreed. “That will make him happy.” She sighed as she rested her cheek on his chest, relief filling her. She’d thought he would have to deal with those horrible, uncomfortable scars for the rest of his life. Even if they never completely went away, this was definitely an improvement. She turned her face to rest her chin on his chest, just admiring him for a moment. “I’m so glad it worked,” she said. “I love you.”

Varric smiled at her, taking a hand to brush his knuckles against the soft skin of her cheek. “Love you too, Seeker.” He leaned up and caught her lips, kissing her gently before he pulled back. “I’d have to. I didn’t just start a new chapter of Swords and Shields for just anyone, you know,” he said as he nodded over at the draft pages on his desk before he smiled at her again, “Think you could suffer through it and tell me what you think so far?”

She would later deny the happy girlish squeal that escaped her and clambered off the bed to snatch up the papers on his desk. She perched herself on the edge of his bed, leaning her elbows on her knees as she began to read. She heard him laughing at her and she reached back to slap at him. “Hush!” she scolded. “I’m reading.” She lost herself in the beginning of the story, devouring every word on the pages. She frowned as she came to the last one, leaving her on a cliffhanger. Of course. “Varric! You ass,” she started to scold, but fell silent when she saw he had fallen asleep again. She shook her head, a tight smile on her lips, and looked back down at the page. “I wonder what comes next…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who left kudos and reviews on this story! 
> 
> And if any of you are interested, there's a part 3 coming.


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